Misty Blue Eyes
by LilMisfit5290
Summary: Misty Eyed Sunshine COMPLETE After being forced into a life of crime thanks to the Satin Slayer and KWAK, Dixie returns to Pine Valley in hopes of getting her life back along with the man she loves, with help from a girl who wants to fix her broken family.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

PVH ICU Waiting Room

"Dad! I just got a call at the police station about Dixie. Where is she?" Tad asked frantically as he entered the PVH waiting room.

"Why did she collapse like that at the mansion? I just was with her a less than an hour ago! Is it her heart? What happened?"

"Tad, I..."

"C'mon Pop, you gotta tell me the truth, is Dixie gonna..."

"Joe!"

"Grandpa!"

"Boys. I..."

"How is she, how is my mother? What the hell happened to her?"

Jr. kept on reliving the moment in his head. All he could think of was him and Babe doing CPR on his mother, her barely breathing on the ground, white as a ghost. He had just gotten his mom back in his life, and had come back to life for her. She needed to come back for him now, for Tad, for Kate. He wanted her to be there for Little A like she was there for him all those years.

He wouldn't lose his mom again. He couldn't live if he lost her again.

"Jr let him..."

"Tad, you were with her! She was fine a little while ago! Damn it, is my mom gonna live? She has to live, I can't lose her again. I can't."

"Oh my god Dad, is she? No, she has to; Dixie has to pull through this!"

Jamie couldn't believe this was happening. A week ago Dixie, him, and Jr were eating chocolate chip cookies and talking about a broken vase. Just like old times. He knew his family would never be able to get past this. They couldn't mourn for Dixie again.

"Everyone, Dixie collapsed because..."

"Oh my god, where is she Joe? Julia! Where's my sister?"

Di could barely get out the words. The second she got the phone call from Jamie her heart skipped a beat.

"I just saw her two days ago! She was so happy because she was gonna go back to work and just the other night, she had a dream that she and Tad found Kate! No, this isn't right; it should be me in there! I got a job at Fusion so this bastard would be stopped! Oh my God!"

"Shh, Di, relax. Let Joe talk."

Julia's heat ached for her friends and their families. She had gotten word on Dixie's condition, and knew her chances weren't good. She couldn't believe that this was happening. And to Dixie of all people, who just wanted to find her daughter. She couldn't watch seeing Jamie and Tad suffer. "Why God, why are you doing this?"

"It wasn't the Vtak was it, Oh no Aidan!"

Aidan was speechless. He felt a total sense of guilt and responsibility for the situation, a respected private investigator, Tad's go to guy, couldn't even track down this monster that had killed 2 women, and made victims of two others. He couldn't save his ex girlfriend and the love of his best friend's life. He had to catch this guy and no matter what he had to protect Di.

"Sweetheart calm down, Dixie is tough. She'll..."

"Joe! Where is she, where's my niece! What happened to her?"

Palmer was still reeling from Krystal's phone call. He wished he could turn back time to when Dixie had first come back and he saw her at the casino. He hated treating her like that and wished he had heard her out, that he had done more to help her besides bailing her out of jail. He wished he could have reunited his niece with her little girl, his grandniece. She couldn't die on them again; his beloved niece couldn't leave him again.

"Palmer dammit just let him explain!" Tad angrily told him.

"Don't talk to me like that Tad, you saw her last and caused this!"

"Oh shut up you old coot! Leave my son alone! Tad, where is she!"

"Ma I don't know yet."

"Oh dear God, Please let her be ok, my gosh no, please let her be ok! I was too hard on her I know I was, and now she may not even see her daughter! Dixie doesn't deserve this! I can't lose her like I lost Jenny!"

"Opal, just calm down... "

"I won't Miss Julia! Not until I know...

"That's it!, This is a hospital!" Joe tried to yell over the noise.

"Dixie's collapse was the result of..."

"What was it Joe! What's wrong with my mom?"

Jr looked up from his wheelchair with terror in his eyes.

"Vtak. Dixie collapsed because of a trace of Vtak in her system and with her one kidney and her heart condition, she is in grave danger. As of now Dixie is stabilized but its touch and go."

ICU

"Dixie."

"Dix, hey. It's me. It's Tad. I'm the last to see ya tonight. You had quite a few visitors. My gosh what am I doing, this is no time for small talk, idiot!"

"How could this happen to you. How? Dixie I should have protected you, I should've protected you like I always did. Like I did then. I've failed you again Dixie, I'm so sorry. You gotta believe me! You gotta wake up, you gotta get past this."

"You're a fighter Dix you always have been. Remember when you took on Billy Clyde, and Ted Orsini? Huh? Remember when we swam through those rapids! Remember when you fought me to have our little girl, and when you fought Madden? You were willing to die for Kate. Dixie, you put your life on the line for our daughter, even after a major car crash you never gave up! You never stopped fighting Dix, that's what you gotta do now you hear me. You gotta fight for us; you gotta fight for our boys! Jr and James can't lose you again! They aren't gonna lose you again. and Little A, he needs to know his grandma right! Dixie, you gotta fight for Kate, you understand? When we find Kate she needs to know her mom right! She needs a mommy to raise her and teach her right from wrong and to eat chicken fingers with, and a mommy to love her. You want to know a secret? I'm a tough guy but not that tough. Not tough enough to handle watching our little girl grow up without her mom, and not tough enough to be a single dad. You probably think I could but I can't. I can't look our daughter in the eye and say that her mommy is gone, that her mom died because of some measly little poison! "C'mon Dix if you can fight back from everything else, a little poison can't do you in. It won't. Dixie? Please sweetheart you gotta wake up, you gotta. Please God let her wake up, please Dix? Oh my God. Is that you?"

"Tad...?

"Tad what, what happened to me, what, I'm so tired..."

"No, shh sweetheart its ok, its ok I'm right here."

"Tad, I."

"Dixie, no don't, don't, you had an accident, you collapsed from Vtak in those pancakes, but you're ok. You hear me, I'm right here, you can't leave me!"

"Tad, I gotta tell, I gotta tell you something, I..."

"No, sweetheart don't talk ok just rest, Pop!"

"Tad there's no time, just let me tell you this ok, its, its about .Kathy, she's... she's Kate..."

"But how. How do you..."

"Tad, just."

"No Dix, no you can't leave me, just relax and you'll be fine, I promise you."

"Tad, take care of our baby..."

"No Dixie, I love you too much! No, no don't leave me! Sweetheart, I love you! You own my heart Dix. Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"Together forever..." Dixie said weakly. "I love you Thaddeus James Martin..."

"Tad you have to leave immediately, get the cardiac unit in here stat!"

Joe yelled as he tried to get his son away from Dixie's side.

"No, Dixie, c'mon, dammit someone get in here and help, she can't die! Dixie, baby c'mon please!"

"C'mon Tad we've gotta go..."

"No Julia, I can't leave her I can't!"

"Doctor, her heart rate has skyrocketed, we're losing her."

"No, Dad c'mon. Pop, do something please, save her! Dixie, Dixie! No!"

"Well well well, the latest target, Here's to a job well done, thank God for cheap hospital security systems. Of course I got her Boss, What ya you think I'm blind! I got to the food at the mansion and everything! Four down one to go Boss. Oh my god. Dammit! Boss we have a small problem here, uh, we got the wrong gal! Mother of God. Okay I'm working on it! Where's the blasted syringe? Yes! Whew, ok we're good now, everything's under control. Over and out Boss!"

"C'mon now, beautiful, open your eyes you lucky lady."

"What. Where am I? Who?"

"C'mon, Its ok, I'm gonna take care of you now."

"But..."

"Shh, relax. C'mon now, lets get you gotta here. I've got a place a few hours north of here where we can go, you ok now?"

"I... I don't know, I..."

"Don't worry, we're leaving here tonight. I'll call some people and get it all squared away for us. We can leave this town for good."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Car Entering Scarsdale, NY

"Wow, whatever I gave you was pretty strong stuff, you're as out of it as you were before I brought you back to the land of the living!"

The driver of the car chuckled to himself as he glanced at the back seat.

"I should check in with the guys, make sure everything's going smoothly, Faking a funeral is no easy job, but I got my best men covering it. My guy Ian's a genius at these types of things."

"You had lots of family back there, you. It took me forever to get you outta there unnoticed. You're lucky you're so pretty otherwise I wouldn't be going through all this. But we're gonna have a nice life together. You're gonna make one hell of an agent. Much better than the last girl I was with. You got the whole edge thing down, plus beauty and brains. Me and you are gonna go places kid. Our next heist is gonna go like clockwork. I'll show ya the ropes first but you'll catch on quick enough. We'll make more dough than any other team on the East Coast."

"You know now that I think about it, I should probably give you a name, I couldn't get to your file fast enough at the hospital. It's probably better though; a new life deserves a new name. Wow, it sure is pretty up here, all the fog covering the trees. Hey, I got it. I'll call you, Misty! Yeah, you look like a Misty, that okay little lady? We'll be Misty and Kevin, the best mob team Boss has ever seen!"

Kevin Sturgess seemed proud of himself. After years of faking his own death to get a stubborn P.I off his tail and hiding in a jungle hut in Thailand, he returned with a bang by managing to keep a botched mission from ending in utter disaster,. He still couldn't believe the appointed Satin Slayer was capable of that major a mistake, of nearly bumping off the wrong girl, a non Fusion girl, and one as wise and beautiful as Misty. At the same time he also saved a life. He didn't do that too often and took pride in his accomplishment. Kevin didn't think that after Di Henry he'd be able to find another partner in crime that was as talented and gorgeous as her, until Misty fell into his lap.

"Huh? Where am I? Who are..., Oh my head." Misty said groggily.

"Hey beautiful. Yeah you've been out since I found you. But don't worry; I'll take care of you"

Kevin already had a plan for dealing with the important conversation about to take place. Countless, but crucial lies were about to roll effortlessly off his tongue.

"Who are you? No wait, who am I?" Misty stared at her surroundings in total confusion.

"Yeah I should probably introduce myself here, the name's Kevin. I kind of saved your life. I found you back in New York and you looked kind of lost. I pulled up to see if you needed directions and you passed out right outside of my car. I took you to the hospital but they said you probably just had one drink too many. They kept you for observation last night and I tried to make some calls, to see if you had family or something but you didn't have a phone, wallet, I.D, nothing. I called the cops and they reported no missing woman with your description. When they released you this morning I could see you probably had no place to go, so I figured I'd take you up to my place to crash. Do you remember anything that happened to you last night?"

"No nothing. I mean I can't even tell you my name right now. You say you found me in New York?"

"Yup, just a beautiful girl walking the streets, but you looked like you got drugged or something. You say you have no idea what happened, or who you even are?"

"No, Oh my God. I can't even... God, I'm so, so sorry, oh my God!"

Misty was practically hyperventilating out of fear but also disbelief that that handsome man stopping the car was capable of doing such a selfless thing by taking her in, a woman who didn't even know her own name.

"Now you just calm down back there sweetheart. No, now stop the waterworks back there. Don't get all misty eyed on me. Relax. You found a friend here. Kevin will look out for you. See look we're here already."

Kevin said as he opened the car door.

"This is your house! Oh it's so beautiful. No, I can't stay here. No, this is incredibly kind of you but, I can't... No, I'll call a cab and get back to wherever I came from. No I can't do this to you... Kevin. It's Kevin right, yeah, no I just gotta go. Just take me..."

Misty tried her hardest to get the words out and protest, but out of sheer exhaustion surrendered to peaceful unconsciousness in the gorgeous man's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Pine Valley Cemetery/Park

"Hey Dixie, it's Tad. Wow I can't believe we lost you a year ago today. A lot of stuff's happened since then. For one, I've officially come to the conclusion our daughter is one hundred percent the most beautiful four year old in Pennsylvania, which is only because she looks one hundred percent just like you. She totally got lucky there, the only thing she got from me is my tremendous sense of humor. But she has your beautiful eyes, smile, everything. She also is the most intelligent kid I've ever seen; she has my pulling change out of the ear trick down pat. She now demonstrates on James every chance she gets, which is constantly. We've been rooming at Wildwind for awhile now. Every time I walked into my place I saw you baking cookies or helping me put up Christmas decorations, plus Wildwind was Kate's first real home and I couldn't pry her away from all that love to bring her to a messy bachelor pad full of memories. Believe me though, Kate knows exactly who her real mom is, I've told her all of our stories. She knows the truth and handles it like a little pro. She also has a best pal in Emma Lavery, and they are connected like two adorable Siamese twins"

"I mentioned before Wildwind is a bit emptier then it was. Julia and Jamie are engaged, and while Brooke wasn't one hundred percent on board, we got through to her and she can't wait to have a daughter in law. She also is hitched to Jack Montgomery while my brother God help him is with Erica. Di and Aidan also tied the knot a month ago, and are now the new face of Devane Detective Agency. I still work on some cases, but Di was born to be a P.I. and has nerves of steel for the job. We may be Ozzie and Harriet, but Di and Aidan are the Maxwell Smart and 99 of this century. As for JR, he got back on his feet soberly the whole way and knows you and Babe are looking down on your boys. He found a wonderful girl named Whitney, and awhile ago they moved to Europe with Little A.

Jr is still as close with Kate and Colby and his dads as he was, but he felt too torn up about your dying, plus your wish for him and couldn't deal with the painful memories here. As for Krystal, I should have never doubted your word about Charlotte. After Babe's funeral she came clean to me. However Adam is still in the dark. We decided its for the best. I'm still Charlotte's godfather and I still have a role in her life. But Adam is gonna always be her daddy."

"I also thought to mention that Palmer and Opal are still warring constantly, but are now bickering under the same roof as they believed it would be best for your cousin and my half brother Petey, who is staying with them as of now and being as big of a mooch as ever, but he's still a lovable mooch. I think Palmer and Ma bring out the best in each other and as of now, everything is going smoothly. Dad and Mom are still working at the hospital non stop, and James has opened up a pediatric clinic with Julia"

"Dix, no matter what though, you sill own my heart and as of now it's still not open for business. Kate is the only girl in my life, and is gonna be for quite some time. Keep on looking out for me and our kids. I love you Dixie Cooney. Together forever sweetheart."

Tad silently rose from the bench and placed a bouquet of roses at Dixie's grave, tears shining in his eyes, and made his way home, unaware two angelic faces were staring at him from the bush.

Pine Valley Park

"Shh, quiet Emma. Daddy's gonna see us! We're trying to sneak up on him here!"

"I'm trying Kate but, EWW! I SEE A SNAKE!"

"EEEKK!" Both girls ran out of the bush giggling hysterically as Kate revealed the snake to be nothing but a tree root.

But their laughter turned to silence as they saw Tad, the man they playfully called "Funnyman" walk away from the bench looking anything but happy.

"Kate why is your daddy so sad?"

Emma asked her friend as they headed home from the park.

"Funnyman, I mean Daddy, was really sad when he found out the pretty lady was gone."

"What pretty lady?"

"The pretty lady who I met when my old mommy was sick, We made a card together for my mom when she was at the hospital, and after we played games with Little Adam and Jamie. When she saw Daddy her blue eyes lit up and she looked really happy to see him."

"Why did the pretty lady leave?" asked Emma.

"I don't know. Nobody told me, not even Aunt Julia. I remember the day Daddy pulled a quarter out of my ear at the park, he had that same look in his eyes as he did just now."

"Maybe the pretty lady and your daddy were friends, and after the pretty lady left your daddy was sad. I remember when my old daddy left, my mommy was upset like your daddy. But then my mommy met Ryan and my mommy was happy again. When I asked my mom why she was so happy, she said she was in love."

"So your mommy is happy because she loves Ryan?" Kate asked.

"Uh huh."

"I have an idea Emma! I know how I can make my daddy happy again!" Kate said happily.

"What! What are you gonna do?"

"We're gonna find a lady for my daddy to be in love with!'

"But who? I mean your Aunt Julia is married to Jamie, and Miss Di is married to Mr. Fish & Chips, and Miss Brooke is in love with Mr. Montgomery."

"We'll just have to find someone new. Someone my daddy doesn't know yet."

"Ooh wait? What about Miss Krystal? Your daddy and Krystal know each other, and your daddy asked her if she was in love with Mr. Frosty and she didn't answer. She also didn't have that light in her eyes like she used to. She looked sad."

"No! No, we can't have my daddy and Miss Krystal be in love!" Kate spoke with anger and disgust.

"Why not?"

"Because Miss Krystal has Charlotte, and Charlotte has the same daddy as me!"

"But. But I thought that Charlotte's daddy was Mr. Frosty?"

Emma said with confusion.

"No, I heard Daddy and Miss Krystal talking once. It was at Miss Babydoll's funeral. And she said that Charlotte is my daddy's other daughter, not just his god-daughter either. She said that Mr. Frosty doesn't know and that my daddy shouldn't say a word!"

"Oh, okay. So Miss Krystal is out than.."

"Definitely!" Kate cut in.

"Plus I don't like her enough to be in love with my daddy. He deserves a real pretty lady that will let him take care of all his children. We'll know when we find the right lady."

"Hey there's Aunt Julia!"

"Girls, get in this minute! It's freezing outside! Now, go in and put on your pajamas and I'll have a surprise when you come back down."

The girls ran to the Wildwind entrance and as they sipped hot chocolate and ate cookies, they were thinking of the perfect pretty lady to make their funnyman happy again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Scarsdale, NY Kevin's Mansion/Guesthouse

"Hey Misty? Yoo hoo? Hey there we go; you gave me a bit of a scare last night. Well, you've gotten some life in you since last night. Are you hungry, thirsty? Anything at all is yours."

"Uhh, I don't... Wait, you called me Misty. Is that my name? Do you know who the heck I am? Please if you..."

"Now, shh. Relax. I still have no idea who you are or what your life has been like before now. And it's pretty obvious you haven't figured it out yourself. "

Kevin sat down next to her on the sofa in the parlor of the luxurious mansion.

"Now I called you Misty, because when I first saw you it was incredibly rainy and foggy, and then I saw this beautiful woman walk out of the mist like something out of Greek mythology. I thought the name seemed appropriate, however I can call you something else if you wish."

Misty blushed and was taken aback by Kevin's compliment. She couldn't recall anyone treating her like this before, especially not a mysterious, handsome man like Kevin.

"No, no. I'm flattered, really. Misty is a beautiful name. I love it."

Kevin was pleased he was getting this reaction from Misty, especially because he was feeling the exact same way, and actually thought she had grown more beautiful since last night. He hoped she would react well to his confession and proposition for her later on.

"So, Kevin. Since I obviously don't know a thing about myself or my life, what's your story? I mean, you have this beautiful mansion in the middle of the woods, and you most likely have the big bucks. What do you do?"

"Actually, I'll get back to you on that. I have some errands to run. Work stuff. What would you like for breakfast? The cooks can whip up anything, I recommend the pancakes personally. I'll just run into town for awhile and give you a chance to check out the place, and then I'll come back and we'll talk. But, now I gotta go. Use whatever you need, my house is yours."

Misty watched Kevin drive off, and felt like she was in a dream. She had no idea who she really was, what her life had been like before she met Kevin, she was totally clueless to her real life.

"But hey, I may as well enjoy myself while I'm here, wherever here may be..."

Misty decided to get more familiar with her surroundings while she had the chance. She walked to explore the rest of the guesthouse and walked in on a closet full of expensive, yet neutral, monotone outfits. Misty also noticed business cards and gift certificates for a hair stylist and professional makeup artists. Attached was a note from Kevin.

"Dear Misty, here are a number of tools to give yourself a new lease on life with a brand new style of your own. Use what you wish, but I must say you as a brunette, would make you even more stunning than you already are, if its even humanly possible. Just my two cents. Enjoy the clothes and stylists. Can't wait to see the new you! With love, Kevin. "

"Well, if that wasn't enough of a hint for me to glam it up. Subtle much there Mr. Sturgess? Oh well, it's all free, I may as well give them a call. What's it gonna hurt?"

After the stylists left and the new brunette Misty turned down the pancakes (she vaguely recalled a bad instance involving that particular breakfast food) she was just about to take a nap when she heard...

"Kevin! Hey man. A little bit of a hand here, where's the damn key? Oh wait, no that's mine...God man can't you open the door! Where's the maid when you need her? Christ I'm freezing my ass off here! Kev, the doors jammed I think...C'mon! Somebody!

Anyone there?!"

Misty's heart was beating a mile a minute.

"Kevin didn't say a thing about guests! How they could make the drive up here is beyond me. Is there a maid anywhere?"

Cautiously she made her way to the front door armed with the first item she could grab, a tennis racket.

"Hello... Kev. I mean Mr. Sturgess' residence. Who's there?"

"Oh thank you God there's someone here. I'm Ian, I mean Mr. Welles. I'm Kevin's friend. If you're the maid you should know me, unless he fired you. Are you Tess by any chance? Bess maybe? If you open the door I'll know for sure."

Misty looked out the peephole, and saw the voice coming from a tall brown curly haired man with the most beautiful green eyes she'd ever seen, wearing a coat and tie, and shivering like crazy. She unhooked the latch and opened the door just a crack.

"Uh, no. I'm Misty, Kevin, I mean Mr. Sturgess brought me up here yesterday?"

"Well, nice to meet you Miss Misty Blue Eyes. I'm Ian and I've know Kev forever, and I was wondering if you could possibly let me in for a quick second, I was supposed to drop by for a little meeting, and all he'll be able to meet with is an Ian popsicle if I'm out her much longer!"

"Oh, stupid me, here ya are." Misty giggled nervously as she opened the door.

"Thank you Misty, and may I say it's a pleasure to meet you." Ian than took her hand and kissed it.

"Well, it's nice to see you too Mr. Welles, I..."

Misty couldn't help but blush at the handsome man's unexpected greeting.

"Well, so you are the new girl huh? Kevin told me you were a pretty one but my God, you're beautiful. Tell me, honestly now. Is he treating you like the beauty that you are? Is he being nice to you? Because if he's not..."

"No, Mr. Welles..."

"Ian, call me Ian everyone does"

"Okay, No, Ian, Kevin is treating me just fine. It's so fine it's too fine actually. Honestly are all the girls people bring up here treated like royalty? What have I done to deserve all this? Nothing for him as of now! I mean I get this fabulous makeover and wardrobe, after out of the goodness of his heart he takes me to the hospital and then to his house! I just don't understand why he is so nice to me when all I've done since I got here is sleep?"

Ian was just about to tell Misty why she was really Kevin's guest, and then suddenly was interrupted when Kevin walked through the door.

"Well, I'm glad to see you two getting acquainted! Misty, this is my associate and friend Ian Welles. But we've already established that, so let's talk about why we're all here today. Earlier Misty, you asked what I do for a living, and how I've created this little luxury here."

"Well yes, but if it's too personal you don't need..."

Kevin cut her off.

"No it's not too personal at all. You see Misty, Ian and I are in a, shall we say, secret organization."

"This is a fancy term for the mob." Ian chimed in.

"Don't look at me like that! She was going to find out soon enough, better off not sugar coating it."

"Well, Misty, as Kevin so delicately put, we are, well, mobsters. We have been working for them for quite some time, and we have a proposition for you."

Misty just stared at them in disbelief.

"Uh, well, wow. Ok. I mean I knew you had money, but I thought maybe you were some corporate big shot or something, or you got like a major inheritance or something. The mob! Seriously! I can't wrap my head around it..."

"Uh, Misty. Now just relax..."

"Wow...Ok wait what do you want from me here? Was I kidnapped or something? Are you holding me for ransom? Did somebody from my past do something? Am I a part of this? Did I have some relative who was in on this? Oh my God..."

"Misty!" Kevin yelled to get her attention.

"Sorry I just..."

"No, its, never mind. Now the proposition we have for you is this..."

"Kevin wants you to be his partner in crime." Ian cut in. "He wants you to help on missions and stuff like that.

He says you have a natural talent for this type of thing, and plus he needs a new girl to replace Di..."

"Don't Ian. I told you don't bring her name up again, ever!"

"Sorry, I just thought..."

"No. She's in the past, let's focus on the future."

"Well, I, I don't know guys. I mean I don't think I'm really the mob type. I mean..."

"Oh, don't worry about it. Kevin and I are professionals. We won't let a thing happen to you, and you'll be trained by the best."

"Misty." Kevin said, "This is a chance for a new life for you. If you don't want it, I can find another girl in a heartbeat that will take your place and take advantage of the opportunity."

"Whatcha think Blue Eyes?" Ian asked.

"Well, I guess I could..."

"Perfect! Just sign this contract and we'll be all set. You won't regret this Misty."

Misty wasn't sure what to think at this point. But she felt like she could trust Kevin. He had saved her life after all. And she was perfectly comfortable around Ian. She felt like they wouldn't let anything happen to her, and decided to go for it.

She had wanted to repay Kevin for all he had done, and he seemed so proud when she agreed to sign the papers. She couldn't say no.

"Okay, well guys I gotta split. See ya later Kevin, Blue Eyes."

"Bye Ian. Wow, guess he was in a hurry."

"C'mon. Lets get the paperwork finished and then we'll go out to celebrate."

Kevin couldn't wait for the next mission. If it was successful it would prove what an accomplished agent he was, plus the fact that he could get such a good recruit. He'd be the boss by the end of the year. He could feel it.

As Ian drove away from Kevin's, he couldn't help but wonder why Misty seemed so familiar to him. From the second she answered the door, something about her eyes. He had never seen eyes that blue before. Even the faint southern accent and that nervous laugh she had, made him try as hard as he could to place her face. He knew it was gonna drive him absolutely nuts.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Scarsdale

2 Years Later

"Ian, this breakfast was amazing. I may have gone up a dress size or two but it was worth it. My compliments to your chef."

"Well, I'll make sure to keep him around for the next time you stick around for breakfast."

"Well hopefully the next time you invite me over, it won't be for a pity brunch. You probably would have enjoyed your waffles more if your guest wasn't going through an endless supply of tissues the entire meal."

"Hey, don't sweat it. You were a perfect dining companion."

"Ian, I'm truly sorry for the way I acted last night. I mean I was totally a basket case yesterday, and you couldn't have acted nicer towards me. If I was in your position I would have locked me in the attic by now!"

"Well, now I know who not to see when I'm feeling down!" Ian said with a smile.

"Seriously though Misty, what happened with you and Kevin last night?"

"Oh, we don't need to get into it..."

"No, Misty." Ian cut her off. "We need to get this straightened out. Let's go for a walk or something. We need to talk."

Scarsdale, NY Park

"Now I've known Kevin a long time. He's a good friend of mine. But let's put that aside for a second. I've known Kevin long enough, to know he takes his job very seriously. At times a bit too seriously. I mean, he's very focused on getting ahead. And sometimes he well forgets about other people involved in his life. Either that or he tries to drag them into his little world. Has he done that to you, Misty?"

"Ian, I..."

"No let me finish. I've seen Kevin with a lot of different women over the years. Some work with him or for him, and some are just random girls he meets at a bar or something. But he just gets so wrapped up in his job, and the women he's with, are almost like an afterthought to him, ya know? I mean even the girls he recruits; he just focuses on the damn missions and not the people who pull them off. You know what I'm saying Misty?"

"Ian, I" Ian cut her off.

"I'm right aren't I? He's done it again! The son of a... I can't believe him. He slipped up again, and he's making you take the fall. He did the same thing to Di. That son of a..."

"No, Ian! He didn't try and make me take the blame or anything! Honestly! It's just..."

Misty couldn't believe she was on the verge of tears again. Ian wasn't totally accurate but he had the general idea. He knew she was unhappy.

"It's just that... At the beginning, the first few months after I signed the contract I was well, nervous. But Kevin went on a few of the missions with me, and it went okay. I mean I went to like a zillion of those training sessions, and I could tell, he was really proud of me. We went on most of them together too. But then, after the first few jobs went okay, he stopped encouraging me, and just kept on giving me orders. And then I had to go on heists and things like that with other agents, sometimes solo. But I dealt with it."

"But..." Ian asked.

"But, then he got promoted to mob boss, and it was rare that I would even make contact with him outside of him giving me missions. Not even in person most of the time. He was away on trips constantly, and all the conversations we had were him checking in, not on me. God forbid he'd be concerned about me. It was all about how much cash we got, and if everything went according to his schedule."

"That can't be all that he's done, you wouldn't be this upset if it was just him being away all the time. Of anything all it's done is let you spend more time with me!"

"Ian, come on. Be serious. I mean you were the one who wanted to hear all this in the first place." Misty said sadly.

"No, I'm sorry you're right. Go on."

"It's okay. In a way you're right. I mean it's not just him being away all the time that gets me. It's what he does while he's away."

"What are you saying?"

"Well I know why Kevin has been so concerned about how much cash we bring in on the jobs lately."

"You don't mean, is he..."

"He gambles Ian, he goes out, and gambles away practically all the money that we, well mostly me and you, take in!"

"I had no idea. I really didn't." Ian said totally dumbfounded. "How did you..?"

"Oh it took me awhile too to catch on. But after all of his so called business trips he would come home and instantly check how much cash we brought in. Plus he just started wanting to go on casino heists exclusively. I found out that the last job we did was at a casino where Kevin had lost almost two thousand dollars the night before. We only rob the casinos where he has lost the most cash."

"Holy cow. So that's why you guys are in trouble all of a sudden. It's totally understandable; I mean I'm totally on your side here Misty. If I had known Kevin was doing this, well let me tell you things would have worked out quite a bit differently. Oh he's in trouble now. I'm so gonna find him and..."

"No! Ian, please. Kevin can't know about any of this you understand. Let me handle it please!"

"But, no Misty. It's just gonna get worse from here on. You need help..."

"No Ian! I mean it, this conversation never took place. Now look, Kevin is going away on another trip tonight. I'm not gonna go and blow everything to bits right now. I have a plan. I'm not taking this casino job he assigned us."

"Ok, and then what? I mean when he comes home and confronts you what is gonna happen then? I don't see any good coming from this here. I mean you're basically setting yourself up for a major disaster Misty, and I don't want to see Kevin hurt you."

Misty was touched by Ian's concern for her safety, but she knew what she had to do. She wanted out of this life of crime. She hated being bossed around by a man who was supposed to be her partner, who she thought would maybe even be her boyfriend if she worked hard enough. But all he had done was take her hard work for granted, when he gambled away everything that she and Ian earned while they risked their freedom, and even their lives. Instead of taking, she wanted to give back. Maybe it would ease her conscience, she wasn't sure, but anything would be better then stealing the rest of her life. She just wasn't sure of how to go about taking this big step.

"Excuse me Miss? Can you help me?"

Misty's thought was interrupted by a little girl, about 7 years old, who came up to her and Ian with fear in her brown eyes.

"Hey little one. What's your name?" Ian asked gently.

"I'm Peyton. I can't find my mommy anywhere. I'm really scared!'

"No, shh. It's gonna be okay." Misty said soothingly. "Now where was the last time you saw your mommy?"

"We were at the bench and I went to play on the swing set."

"Did you tell your mommy you wanted to play on the swing Peyton?"

"I don't remember Miss." Peyton said as she started to cry.

"No, now don't cry sweetie, and you can call me Misty okay. And this nice man is Ian, and we're gonna help you find your mom together. I promise you. Now, why don't we go back to the bench where your mommy was earlier, maybe she came back already?"

"Thank you Miss Misty, Ian." Peyton said with a trace of a smile on her face.

"It's no problem sweetie. C'mon lets go."

As they headed over to the bench, Ian spotted a young woman running towards them, and suddenly Peyton sprinted over and the mother and daughter embraced.

"Oh baby, how could you do this to me? Thank God you're alright sweetie."

The woman ran over and hugged Ian and Misty crying tears of relief and gratitude.

"I can't thank you enough. I was so..."

"Don't worry about it. She was an angel."

"Thank you Miss Misty and Ian for helping me."

"It's no trouble at all Peyton."

Misty said as she knelt down beside the little girl.

"Hang on wait, I think there's something in your.. Hey I got it! Peyton laughed in amazement as Misty pulled a quarter out of her ear.

"Thank you so much! You're angels, the both of you."

"Come now Peyton. Time to go."

As the little girl walked away, Ian glanced at Misty with an admiring look in his eyes.

"What are you staring at?"

"No, it's just...The way you acted with that little girl. You really have a way with kids."

"Well, I..."

"No, wait. That's what you should do with your life Misty."

"What? Be a magician? Because that tricks a tad too basic for me to make a living with it..."

"No, teach! You could teach little kids or work at a daycare or something."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah totally! I mean you wanted to give something back right? This is a perfect job for you Blue Eyes! I mean the way you talked to Peyton; it's almost as if you were a mom in another life."

"Ian you're brilliant! Seriously! This is perfect!"

"And just so you know, I really admire you for doing this. You know, doing your own thing and living life the way you want too, not caring what other people think. It's really brave of you."

"Well I, thank you! I mean you're my inspiration for this whole thing."

"Well how about the inspiration goes out and treats the role model to a nice dinner. We can talk about our next move."

"Well as the role model I say. Let's go. I could go for some chicken someplace."

"Your wish is my command."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter. 6

"Okay sweetheart. Wow I can't believe it's your first day of kindergarten! Oh I'm so old!" said Julia with a sad smile.

"Now either I or Emma's mommy will be back at Wildwind when you girls get home okay. And you know what buses you need to take right? I wrote them down on a sheet of paper in case you forget. Now make sure you find Emma at the end of the day and you both go home together right! And oh I'm gonna miss you so much!"

"I'll miss you too Aunt Julia!" said Kate, who was nervous but excited at the exact same time.

"Now you're going right here, room 202 with Mrs. White right. Yeah okay. Now you just go on in there and I'll see you at home okay! Kiss!"

Kate reached out and hugged Julia goodbye as she walked in the classroom.

"Bye sweetie!"

Julia couldn't help but cry as she walked down the hallway back to her car. She couldn't believe it was only a little under year ago that she found Kate in the backseat of Linda and Jim's car. Now she's already started kindergarten. She couldn't even imagine how much of a mess she'd be when Kate started college. She wished Tad or Jamie could have come with her to the school, at least then she could have someone there as a shoulder to cry on, and then they'd crack some stupid joke and make her laugh for a second.

"Oh well, It has to get easier from this point right."

Julia said to herself as she started the drive home.

"Gee, I wonder what they are talking about out there"

Emma asked Kate "Mrs. White's been out there for awhile now."

"Maybe she's getting fired."

"Kate! How could you think that?"

"Well I don't know, all I know is she's been cranky all day long. Maybe she needs time off."

"I liked my other teacher better, said Emma sadly. "I'm glad we're in the same class, but Miss Parker was so much nicer."

"Well you're stuck with me now." said Kate with a trace of sarcasm. "Maybe we'll get another teacher. Maybe it'll be someone that doesn't yell as much."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Shh, she's back!"

"That's not her that's the principal."

"Wait. Who's with her?"

"Shh."

"Well children. I'm sad to say that you will be getting a substitute for Mrs. White, as she unexpectedly has left her job." said the principal.

"Told ya!" Kate said triumphantly.

"Shhh! Let's see who we..."

"Boys and girls, your new teacher is named, what's your name again dear"

"Misty, ma'mm"

"Really, no last name, very well then. Students, this is your teacher for the time being. Miss Misty. Now, I believe its naptime so students, get your blankets out of your cubbies."

"Thanks for your help!" Misty squeaked out as she said goodbye to the principal.

"Well, okay. Now its time for your naps so I'll just get the lights. There we go. Good night!"

Misty couldn't believe this. She'd only put out a request to be a student teacher less than a week ago. She had no idea they'd get back to her so soon. She at least was relieved it was naptime. Now she'd get a chance to relax before she had a nervous breakdown.

Misty's train of thought was interrupted by a quiet whimpering coming from the back of the class.

"Hey, hey sweetie. What's wrong?"

Misty questioned the little girl huddled in the back of the room with tears in her eyes clutching a blanket.

"I...I had a bad dream"

Misty took the little girl's hand and walked over to the desk.

"Here, sweetie. Dry your eyes now. Now, your name's Kate, right? That's a very pretty name. My name's Miss Misty."

Misty said soothingly.

"Now Kate, do you want to tell me what happened in your dream? It's okay, if you don't want too, but I think I can help if you tell me what scared you."

"No, I'll... I'll tell you. Well, I...I had a dream about my daddy, and about this lady named Miss Krystal, and baby Charlotte."

"Okay. Is that your family? What happened with them?"

"Well, Miss Krystal was in a wedding dress and she and my daddy had just gotten married... and. I ran up to my daddy and tried to talk to him, but he, he didn't see me. He only saw Miss Krystal and baby Charlotte...And then. Then they walked into Wildwind, and they gave baby Charlotte my room, and then I tried to get their attention and I yelled and screamed but they, they all ignored me, and then I woke up...and I, I was so scared Miss Misty! I thought it really happened. And I..."

Kate's voice cracked and Misty pulled her onto her lap as she broke down sobbing.

"Shhh, it's alright sweetie. it was only a dream, it was only a dream." Misty said soothingly.

Her heart couldn't help but break as the little girl cried in her arms. As she smoothed Kate's blonde hair, she realized she was softly humming a tune she vaguely remembered. Soon after she started singing in a soft voice.

"You are my sunshine...My only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you.

Please don't take...my sunshine, away."

Misty couldn't help but wonder why that song popped into her head, but was relieved that it seemed to calm Kate down.

"Miss Misty, you have a pretty voice." Kate sat up and wiped her eyes.

"Where'd you learn that song?" Kate asked anxiously as she sat up.

"I don't remember sweetie, it was just, I don't know, stuck in my head. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I think so. Can I go and sit with Emma now?"

Misty smiled at the little girl's sudden change of moods

"Sure Kate."

"Thanks Miss Misty." Kate said as the bell rang for recess.

"Wait, Kate!"

"Yeah?" Kate asked anxiously.

"Remember that was only a dream. That's not gonna happen with your family."

"Ok, bye!"

Wildwind

"Hey. Short stuff!

"Daddy!!" Kate yelled as she jumped into Tad's arms.

"Hi Funnyman, I mean Mr. Martin."

"Why hello Miss Emma. And just so ya know you have permission to call me whatever you please"

"Okay!" Emma giggled.

"So, how are the two cutest kindergarteners in the entire world? Was your first day good? Are you two officially smarter than old funnyman here?"

"Oh Daddy!"

Kate said with a smile.

"Kate, can we go play now?" Emma asked.

"Sure, let's go in my room. Can Emma and I go play Daddy?"

"Sure girls, we'll eat dinner soon though so don't fill up on imaginary tea or anything."

"We won't! I love you Daddy."

Tad went over and gave Kate a huge hug.

"Right back at you kiddo. Now go play."

"Lets play house okay, I'll be the mom okay?"

"Sure, uh Kate, can I ask you something."

"Sure."

"Why did you get up during naptime like that? When I woke up I saw you and Miss Misty over at her desk. What happened?"

Kate was still embarrassed about her dream and didn't want Emma to know she had gotten that upset over something that had just happened in her head. Plus Emma considered her to be the braver one of the two; she didn't want her to think she was a baby.

"Well, uhhh. She was teaching me a song."

"What kind of song? Can you teach me?"

"Sure, it sounded like. Well."

Kate cleared her throat as she started singing.

...you are my sunshine, my only sunshine; you make me happy, when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away."

"Wow, that's so pretty! Okay you are so being the mom!"

Emma was cut off by a knock at the partly open door.

"Girls. Dinners almost ready, and tonight its chicken fingers."

Kate got all excited and was prepared to race her father down the stairs in their usual tradition to determine who got the biggest piece, when all of a sudden he closed the door on her.

"I'll be right back Emma." Kate said with confusion as she stuck her head out the bedroom door. She looked out and to her surprise saw Tad standing at the end of the hallway, gazing intently out the window at the starry night sky.

"My God, Dix. She was singing your song to her dolls.

Tad whispered as he fought back tears.

"I didn't even think she knew it, but she did, and she sounded just like you when you sung it to JR. God, Dixie. Why couldn't you have been the one to teach it to her?"

"Tad?"

Tad looked down only to see Julia staring up at him at the foot of the stairs.

"Did you check on the girls?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah they'll be down in a minute."

"Are you okay?" Julia asked with concern.

"Yeah, yeah I've never been better."

"Alright, well can you help me with the salad?"

"Sure, yeah no problem."

Tad glanced back down the hallway quickly and then followed Julia to the kitchen.

"Kate? What's wrong?"

"No, its nothing."

"No its not, what's a matter?"

"Well..."

Kate made sure the door was shut, and told her friend what she saw when she looked in the hall.

"So he gets that look when he looks at the stars, do the stars make him upset?"

"No Emma, he didn't look upset. He looked, well, like he did when we saw him in the park. Kind of sad, but not angry, ya know?"

"But he didn't look like that when we got home from school. It was only when he told us that we were eating chicken fingers."

"But we've eaten chicken fingers before, and we race down the stairs to get to them. Chicken fingers haven't made him upset before."

"Maybe, its something about the chicken fingers and the stars combined?"

"No, no way. We once ate chicken fingers in the park at night. And he didn't get like that at all.

"Oh, well. I."

Emma was cut off by Kate.

"Wait! He got that look when he looked in and saw us playing dolls, but before he saw us he was fine. I also think he was outside when I taught you that song."

"You mean Miss Misty's song? Do you think that song made your dad look like that?"

"Hang on; do you remember that one day in the park, when we decided that Daddy was upset because of the pretty lady leaving? Maybe he's upset because he thought of her again. Maybe the song reminded him of the pretty lady!"

"Wow! So Miss Misty reminds your daddy of the pretty lady!"

"Yeah! Hey I have an idea! Maybe we can get Daddy and Miss Misty to meet, and maybe she can be the lady Daddy can be in love with!"

"Wow! That's a great idea..."

"Girls! Dinner's ready!" Julia yelled from the kitchen.

"C'mon lets go! We'll talk about this later." said Kate with excitement in her voice. She finally figured out who could make her dad happy again, the substitute kindergarten teacher who had the pretty voice with eyes just like hers. Miss Misty would be a great mom for her. She just knew it.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Scarsdale

Ian's Mansion

"Okay, so how'd I do? C'mon! You can tell me... I can take it! I think, please! I gotta know how I did on the practice exam. Am I gonna be teaching kids, or just be some cranky out of work lady who gives them dirty looks if they talk too loud at restaurants? Please Ian!"

"Well...Let's see here..." Ian said with a mischievous grin on his face.

"You know these are so hard to grade..."

"Ian!"

Misty yelled with impatience.

"Okay, take it easy. You know if you get this impatient at me how are you going to treat seven year olds? Hmmm? I may recommend a career change. Maybe you could be a drill sergeant or something? You sure have the yell for it."

"Ian, I'm warning you"

"Okay relax. Here."

"What are you...?"

Ian reached out and stuck a gold star on Misty's forehead. "You know this stuff cold, and you're gonna ace that exam next week. A plus."

"Really! Oh my God! Ian!" Misty screeched with excitement as she gave Ian a hug.

"I couldn't have done this without you! Thank you so much Ian. You really helped me through this."

"I couldn't be happier to have helped. C'mon lets celebrate all our hard work." Ian said as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Nothing like a sugar rush after a late night study session. That's what I like to say." Ian smiled as he pulled out a pint of Rocky Road.

"Ian! How did you..."

"I have a gift."

Misty laughed as Ian plopped onto the couch with two huge bowls of ice cream.

"Hey...Ian? I..."

"What? Is my ice cream sense malfunctioning? You're a vanilla type girl aren't you?"

"No, the ice cream's fine. It's just. Do you remember awhile back when we decided to go through with this, you said how you really admired me for going through with it and living life the way I wanted. I was just curious. Why. Why'd you tell me that? I mean I'm not weirded out I was just curious."

"Well, Honestly. I mean like I said, you're living life the way you want, and you're not letting other people tell you what to do. You're doing what you want. I mean, I really admire you Misty; you're so well, pure. You know? I mean your attitude towards life in general is really something special, special like you."

"Wow, Ian. I..."

Misty stammered and almost got teary eyed at Ian's compliment. She hadn't heard anything that sweet from anyone in ages, especially from Kevin, and saw a sensitive almost romantic side to her usually silly friend

"That is, the sweetest thing I've heard, in a long time. I'm really touched... I..."

Misty didn't finish her thought and suddenly and subconsciously leaned in to kiss Ian.

"No, wait!" Ian said with alarm as he backed away quickly.

"Ian? "

Misty stared at him with hurt and confusion soon leading to panic as she realized what she had almost done.

"Oh my God! I'm so... Oh my God I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid! I mean what was I thinking? I mean me and you, we, we get along so great and you're the only friend I've got, and look what I've done to. I've blown it all to hell. Oh my God what was I thinking?"

Misty sat down with her head in her hands, when Ian put his arm over her in an act of comfort. Misty looked up at him with tears streaming done her face.

"Misty, look. No, it's not your fault. Okay?"

Ian said with concern and a trace of sadness in his voice.

"It's not your fault at all, and no, you didn't ruin our friendship one bit. It's better actually this happened now."

"What are you talking about?"

Misty asked with confusion.

"Misty, I didn't kiss you back because, I'm. I'm gay."

"You... You are?"

"Yes. I am, and you're the only person that knows. I haven't even told Kevin, I actually haven't even told my family."

"Your family doesn't know?

Ian, I...I'm totally accepting of it. Totally. It's perfectly fine you came out to me."

"Really?"

"Really. Ian you accepted me wholeheartedly, and you are my best friend, my only friend, and have been there for me through everything. You being gay or straight is never ever going to change that fact. Of anything it's only gonna make our friendship better. I promise you that."

"Thank you. Thank you so much Blue Eyes."

"And in a way its better this way. We can't lose the friendship because of something stupid. I mean suppose you were straight. I could've kissed you, we could've gotten together and then what if we broke up? How could I deal with that? I couldn't eat Rocky Road again!"

Ian couldn't help but laugh. He had no idea how coming out to anyone would be, but he should have known Misty wouldn't turn her back on him. He couldn't believe how nervous he had gotten right before he said it, but now that he did, he felt free, probably the same way Misty felt after she figured out she could escape Kevin's clutches. Ian's thoughts were interrupted as Misty asked him the inevitable question.

"Why me though Ian? Why didn't you come out to your family, or to one of your other friends? Wait, sorry. That was way too personal. You don't have to tell me... I'm sure you have your reasons."

"No, no it's a valid question. See, I almost came out to someone else. Awhile ago."

"Oh, who was it."

"It was another woman I met years ago. Actually, I think I chose you, because well, you sort of remind me of her."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Scarsdale Ian's Mansion

"Oh, well how does this woman remind you of me? Does she have my eyes, my wonderful disposition, my intense love of Rocky Road?"

Ian laughed and proceeded to explain.

"Well, I actually met her when was working as an intern at this clinic in Zurich, that's in Switzerland. That's in Europe in case you were wondering..."

"Ian! Honestly! One more crack about my intelligence and I'll walk out that door!"

Misty said with exaggerated offense.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. No more."

"You swear it?"

"Yes, I swear it okay. Please stay." Ian said with puppy dog eyes.

"Alright. So you were in Switzerland and..?"

"Yes, well. I was an intern at this clinic, and I got assigned to the recovery floor, and I was almost done with my shift when I got to the last room on the floor. I had to tend to this patient who was in a major car accident, and was being heavily sedated while recovering from a large number of surgeries. Well, when I finished tending to the room, all of a sudden all of the monitors began beeping. I walked over to the bed and I see this woman trying to open her eyes and struggling to speak. I immediately went to go and get a nurse because while I could interpret the monitors I wasn't an expert and knew I wasn't certified to treat this woman. Anyways she suddenly reached out for my hand, and told me that I was the only one who could help her."

"Help her with what?" Misty asked curiously.

"She asked me to help her get in touch with her doctor, that it was urgent. So I got the guys name, and ran down to the doctors lounge to see if he was there, and when he wasn't I asked around. This doctor was totally AWAL. So I went upstairs to this woman, and it turns out she had gotten some medication so it was easier for her to breathe and talk. I told her that her doctor was no place to be found, and all of a sudden she got this panicked expression on her face, and got really pale and scared. I asked her why it was so urgent that she see him, and what I could do. She went on to explain what happened to her."

"What was it? What was the deal with the doctor?"

"It turns out her doctor was a real psycho, that's what he was."

Ian explained the circumstances involving the mad doctor and his unsuspecting patient. How this woman told him about how this doctor Greg Madden was someone she sought out, because he was some sort of fertility guru and was a professional in dealing with high risk pregnancies. He said how this rare heart condition she had made carrying a child to term extremely hazardous to her health, but she was so determined to have a child that she was willing to compromise her health.

"She had to go pack up her life and go to Europe in the first place to remove all stress in order for the baby to be okay. Well, all this worked and it was highly likely the child, a little girl, would be born healthy."

"But. What happened? Oh wait the car accident!"

"Yes, the car accident. After they found her they removed the baby via a C-Section, and she ended up being perfectly healthy, but her mom wasn't so lucky. She had to undergo several emergency surgeries just to stabilize her, and had several more to go in order to make a full recovery. Now, with my little amount of medical knowledge, I knew she still had a fighting chance to pull through this, especially because she had a little girl waiting for her on the other side and she seemed pretty damn determined. But this doctor of her's thought otherwise. In fact, he seemed so sure of himself on this; he was ready to make arrangements for her little girl, not for if, but for when she was going to die. Well of course, she believed him and was fully prepared to give the little girl to her father back in the States. Now instead of this bastard doctor fulfilling her wishes, he manipulated her! Not only into thinking she was gonna die, but made her doubt her choice to give the baby to her dad."

"Wow! What could he possibly have said to her to make her decide not to give her child to the father?"

"He played on the fact that her baby's father was actually her ex husband. She went on to say that they had been married a few times, and had several ups and downs but were finding their way back, and she knew he would want the child."

"But if she was this convinced the ex should take care of the baby then what...?" Misty asked with confusion.

Ian added that Dr. Madden had brought up the fact that the ex husband of his friend would not have been able to deal with raising a child if the love of his life had died, and that the little girl wouldn't have the best life possible being raised by a grieving ex.

"This bastard convinced her to sign away her child thinking she would have a better life away from her biological dad, and of course, her mom signed her away because of that jerk's oh so skillful manipulation tactics."

Misty couldn't believe what she was hearing, and couldn't help but get a chill down her spine at Ian's words. She felt almost a sense of deja vu as Ian described more in detail what happened to this woman.

"Well, so what did you do after you heard her story? How did you help her? I mean did you track down the doctor?"

"Well the second she finished explaining, I got in touch with one of the nurses who worked with Madden. I found out he was a temp at the hospital and had already traveled off to another clinic. We couldn't get in touch with the guy or any of his assistants."

"So then what?"

"Well, I told her I would help her, I mean I had the resources to tail the guy and track him down. I figured I was really the only chance she had to get her little girl back. So after she was well enough to travel we left Zurich and backpacked all over Europe on a mission to find this guy, but every time we got too close for his comfort he'd pack up his entourage and split."

"Well did you ever run into him? Did you ever talk with him face to face?"

"Well, you see we'd been on the road for awhile following this one lead, but it ended up being totally misleading and we were getting frustrated. I mean we had to get some new leads and take a break from everything, so we made a stop in Greece for about a month."

"You mean in Athens where your parents traveled to after they retired?"

"Yup, that's the place. Anyways we showed up and explained the situation. They took to her right away and were supportive of our little quest and our decisions."

"But what..."

"My dad started making countless calls to his dad's dentistry clinic back in the States, the family business where's he's worked all his life, expecting me to follow in his footsteps, telling them to give me the corner office when we all came back to Ohio. Oh, he was so proud of me. He's been waiting for this his whole life, and I don't know, I didn't have the heart to tell him that I had bigger goals for myself then that, and how I was in the process of setting up the clinic in Europe."

"Oh Ian."

"I could never find the right time to tell him I didn't want or need the job, so I didn't, but I knew I couldn't tell him to sell the business and kept putting it off. I was so distracted by that that I didn't realize there was a bigger problem, my mother."

"What was it?"

"Well, while I was trying to appease my dad, my mom was working a job on the side. You see, my mom became very fond of my friend, and before I knew it, Mom was trying to come up with wedding arrangements with her. However, it was just around this time that I figured out, well, myself, and how marriage to a girl wasn't really gonna work for me. I actually was all set to come out of the closet to my friend that night when I took her to dinner. But I had a problem, it turns out my mom did a pretty good job playing Cupid. She sent my friend back to me a changed woman, a woman that was completely in love with me."

"Oh no Ian! What did you..."

"Nothing!" Ian angrily said as he cut Misty off.

"That's what I did, nothing! Instead, I ran away like I did when I was 7 and decided it would be cool to live in my tree house. I ran away from everything, from my parents, from her. I couldn't deal. The pressure of facing them all was too much. So I just chickened out, I found out where Madden was going to set up more clinics, left a list for her that had all of the information, gave her a blank check that she could use for expenses, and wrote her a letter that wrote me out of the closet, then I packed up my stuff and hopped a train back to Zurich. That's actually where I met Kevin and became the mobster standing before you."

"Oh my God, Ian I can't..." Misty just stopped talking and gave her friend a huge hug. She was still in disbelief that all this had happened to him, but also couldn't shake the feeling of deja'vu that she had been in that same woman's shoes once before, but convinced herself it was only due to Ian's excellent storytelling.

"Ian, um. Whatever happened to well, her? And what was her name, unless it's too personal or something."

"Oh no it's fine; I actually lost touch with her awhile ago. Last I heard she was maybe in the States. Wow, that's funny. I just told you her entire life story but I spent so much time with her using different aliases, I can't even remember her real name! Guess I've taken too many blows to the head with this job, ya know what I'm saying! Misty? You alright?"

"Oh yeah fine, just tired I guess. You know I think I should probably head on home. It's getting late."

Said Misty with a yawn, anxious to get good nights sleep, hoping this weird feeling was just exhaustion.

"Nonsense you can't head home now. You take the guestroom here...Misty?"

Realizing his friend was already asleep on the couch; Ian covered her up and dimmed the light, all the while trying desperately to remember the name of the blue eyed woman he knew so much yet so little about 6 years ago.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Scarsdale

2 Months Later

"Ian! Ian! C'mon pick up the phone!"

"Hello."

"Ian! Oh my gosh it's here! It's here! I got it in the mail today!" Misty screeched.

"Sorry, who's calling?"

"IAN!"

"Okay, okay sorry! So you really got it! The big it! What we've been prepping for, for months?"

"Yes! It's here, my beautiful teaching certificate!"

"Yes! Oh that's great Blue Eyes. I bet it's on that special paper all thick and engraved like for wedding invitations. Am I right?"

"Exactly! It's so special I can't do it justice telling you about it over the phone. Can I drop by really quick to show ya?"

"Hey. How's this? I'll meet up with you at the park and we'll walk to my favorite restaurant for dinner and celebrate."

"Great. See you in a few."

Restaurant

"So, what's your next move Blue Eyes? Are you gonna find a school around here or shop around a bit?"

"Well, actually I was thinking. You know that one school I student taught at in Pennsylvania. You know, Pine Valley Elementary. I think the kids took to me pretty well there, and I heard that they've got an opening in that kindergarten class I taught."

"Well that's great! But isn't that a bit of a long commute each day?

"Well, kind of but..."

"I mean, I'm just curious. What do you suppose Kevin will think of all this?"

"What"

Misty said with alarm, her good mood starting to evaporate. She nervously started to twist a lock of hair around her finger and was overcome with a feeling of dread. She hadn't considered Kevin during any of this over the past few months, him being away constantly, and she somehow blocked out the issue of her controlling boss.

"I mean, I don't see him being down on you traveling to a different state each day. Misty? Yoo hoo?"

"What?" Misty's thoughts were interrupted.

"Sorry, I got distracted there for a second."

"You haven't told him yet. Have you?"

"Ian I..."

"No, I'm sorry Misty, but I've gotten to know you pretty well the past few months. You haven't told Kevin a thing because you're scared, and strongly considering running away leaving a note, right?"

"You think the thought hasn't crossed my mind? Ian, I'm a nervous wreck!"

"And you have every right to be. But look girlfriend, we've gotta tell him. There's no away around it, and the sooner you do the better you'll feel."

Ian tried not to let his true feelings show for Misty's sake, but he was just as nervous for her as she was, if not more. He knew Kevin would not be pleased, but he would make sure he wouldn't let him hurt Misty. After all he talked her into the whole thing in the first place. But he knew they had to tell him eventually, and it was better to do it sooner rather then later.

"But what about the money? We haven't done any missions or anything lately. What's gonna happen there? He's gonna think I've done nothing but betray him, and after all he did for me. How generous he's been, he gave me anything I wanted, and look what I did in return."

"Misty look, I was the one who started this, and I'm the one who helped you get through it. I'm gonna be there to help you finish it too."

"No! No Ian. You are not taking the blame for this. I'm not going to let you get involved. I mean technically you still are somewhat working for Kevin. He still considers you a friend, even though to him I'm nothing more than another one of his agents. I'm not going to let you take the fall for something that is my decision, not yours."

"Misty, c'mon. I don't trust Kevin any further than I can throw him. The guy is trouble and he has a temper. He could take it out on you. I've seen it happen before."

"No. No Ian. I don't want you anywhere near Kevin's mansion tonight, you hear? This is my job to do. Look, its 6:00, Kevin will be home any second. I gotta do this the second he gets back."

Misty said as she reached for her purse.

"Thank you so much for the lovely dinner Ian. I'll be careful I promise. I gotta go."

"Wait right here. I'm just gonna pay and then I'm taking you home. Then I'm going to the second guesthouse where I stay when I'm at Kevin's."

"Ian, no! Nowhere near the house!"

"Misty!"

"No Ian! You are going home to your mansion. I'm going to Kevin's."

"Damnit Blue Eyes! You're gonna give me a heart attack while I'm waiting!"

"I'll call the second its over. Goodbye Ian, I'll be fine. I hope."

Kevin's Mansion

"Misty? Hey where are you"

Kevin soon realized he was talking to an empty house, but figured it was better this way. He knew his type of misery didn't love company. After the night he'd had last night he had no intention of being friendly to anyone, and went to enjoy his scotch in the comfort of his living room.

"Aaah. Home at last. House sure hasn't changed much in the past few months."

Kevin said to himself.

"Who cares if I'm back without a couple thousand bucks? I should probably check the earnings though, see if Misty's still on schedule."

But as Kevin logged on to his spreadsheets, he was surprised to see no new amounts added in for the past months.

"That's funny. I remember teaching Misty this program years ago"

He decided as a precaution to check the safe. Maybe checking the stacks of bills would also ease his conscience from him throwing his newly earned job money down the drain at blackjack during his last heist.

But Kevin's anticipated relief after he cracked the safe was quickly turned to shock and terror as he saw the safe contained only one envelope of cash, exactly the same as he had seen it before he left for his heist, with only the ten thousand dollars Misty set aside for an emergency. He instantly called his finance man, and discovered no jobs had been completed since before he left for Vegas.

"Listen to me Lyle. I want the name of the agent responsible for the jobs for the past 4 months."

After using a few choice expletives Kevin hung up the phone in disbelief, and heard the front door open, and saw none other than the agent responsible for the panic attack he'd just endured.

"Kevin? You home?" Misty asked nervously as she entered the front door.

"Why hello Misty, I thought I heard your voice here."

Kevin tried to keep his voice calm despite his every instinct telling him to let loose.

"So, how was your trip?" Misty asked as she went over to give Kevin a kiss.

"Fine."

Kevin said icily as he backed away from her.

"Are you sure? You look tense." Misty asked trying to keep her nerves under control.

"Actually, Now that you mention it, I am a bit tense You see, I assigned a major job to one of my most trustworthy, loyal agents, and came home to expect more in the safe than an envelope of emergency cash."

"You. You don't say?" Misty stuttered, realizing Kevin had figured her out.

"Oh, sadly, sadly I do. And you know what gets me the most? This agent was one personally hired by me, someone who I cared for, and actually thought I could spend the rest of my life with, and that someone's name happens to sound quite a bit like, well yours, and also my closest friend's name."

"Kevin, I..." Misty was cut off as Kevin walked closer to her.

"Misty, I'm trying very hard to control my temper here, simply due to the circumstances. You do realize if this had occurred with anyone else, I would personally make the rest of their lives a living hell. But, I have a feeling that you, you and Ian may have a halfway decent explanation for this unfortunate incident, and I would actually like to hear it. So. What persuaded you two to betray the team, betray your fellow agents, and coincidentally me? Me being your boss, and the reason that you my dear aren't a streetwalker right now?"

"Kevin, I.I..." Misty stuttered

"Oh really, that wasn't exactly the explanation I was hoping to hear. Care to try again?"

"Don't blame Ian for this. He had nothing to do with it."

"But he has been your partner, you've been on several jobs together, and you were both assigned to take the mission. Since you chose not to I'd like to know what you did instead."

"We got this."

Misty said as she pulled out a framed copy of her degree and handed it to Kevin.

"What the hell?"

"Kevin," Misty cut him off. "When you were away I made a decision. I decided to go out and get my degree, to teach. it's something I've been wanting to do for quite some time now and I decided to pursue it."

"Well isn't that swell." Kevin said sarcastically. "Well, while you were out going for this little degree here, did you by any chance remember your responsibility of the mission you were assigned to? Was I not clear when I told you about it? Did I give it to someone else by mistake? Because if so please tell me."

"I knew about the mission Kevin. I, I just chose not to go through with it."

"Oh, okay. You voluntarily decided to blow it off. Good to know. Christ, Misty!"

"Kevin, I." Misty squeaked out on the verge of tears.

"No! Don't Kevin me? Damnit!"

Kevin yelled as he grabbed the framed diploma and threw it across the room shattering the glass. Misty ran over to pick up the sheet, tears streaming down her face.

"Misty! For God's sake! This was supposed to be money in the flipping bank! That was our key job of the year that you chose to blow off! What were you thinking? Completely disobey my instructions and run off to earn your damn degree. Damnit! Look what you've gotten us into!"

Suddenly something inside Misty just snapped and her fear turned to outright rage.

"Look what I've gotten us into! Look what I've gotten us into! Kevin, if anyone has ruined anything it's you!"

"What the hell are you getting at?" Kevin asked angrily.

"I know you emptied the safe and took it all with you to Vegas for your last 'meeting;' and now all we have is the money I've set aside for emergencies, and the money in my savings account. I know everything Kevin; I know exactly what you've been doing on all of your so called business trips! You taking all the money that I earn, that Ian and I risk our lives to earn, and gamble it all away until there's nothing left! And then you make us go back to the casinos where you lose the most so we can get it all back again. I figured by me not taking the precious job I'd save us the trouble of robbing a casino in the first place just so you can gamble all the money right back into it!"

"I...I don't know how to take this. I can't believe you've turned into this. The beautiful wise girl I saved has turned into a total failure. You are definitely not the girl who I took in two years ago. I wish I'd just let you die in that hospital!"

"Hospital? What are you..."

"Uh, nothing. Never mind! Get out! Get out of my house, now! Get out! I need to decide what I'm going to do with you. Out!" Kevin yelled as her slammed the front door in Misty's tear stained face.

"FINE! You. You, pathetic controlling bastard!" Misty yelled as she ran off to the guesthouse fighting back tears. But despite all her anger and rage towards Kevin, she couldn't help thinking of the look on his face when she told him she planned to quit. He looked like he had gotten the wind knocked out of him. For a split second, he almost looked small, and weak. A tiny part of her almost felt guilty for what she had done, after all he had done, after all the ways he'd helped her since he found her. She actually found herself to be almost sorry for him, as she remembered the Kevin she first met, the handsome man she had fallen in love with.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Misty jumped at the voice, but soon realized it was just someone on the answering machine.

"Kevin? Darling, it's Lana? Remember, from Vegas? I really wish I could hear your voice again. Can you call me later; maybe we can have a repeat of the other night? Call me back when you get this. Love ya babe."

"Damn him! That's it! I'm done, with this, with him, with everything!"

Misty sobbed to the empty guesthouse, as she rushed around the room filling her purse with all the clothes and cash she could fit inside, and bolted out the door to her car.

"Well, well, well." Kevin said smugly to himself as he spied on Misty through the window as she dashed over to her car.

"Nobody runs out on Kevin Sturgess, nobody."

Kevin said with a threatening tone as he whipped out his cell phone.

"Tim, get a group together to follow and track Agent 134, code name Misty Sunshine. Keep an eye on her to ensure she won't rat us out to the cops. Give her a chance to run a bit and get comfortable in her new surroundings, but don't lose her and if you see anything remotely fishy bring her back to the base and I'll make sure she won't say another word."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Ian's Mansion

"My God Misty, why the hell haven't you called yet. C'mon at least call and let me hear your voice! Let me know you're still okay. Please God let her be alright."

"Ian, C'mon sweetie you gotta stop doing this to yourself! Pacing around and talking to yourself worrying is not gonna bring her back any sooner. Misty is one smart girl. She wouldn't have gone over there tonight if she wasn't prepared to handle it, we've been on enough jobs with her to know this."

"I don't know Milo...I"

"Now sweetie, you stop that! I'm going to make you some tea."

Ian couldn't help but smile at Milo, his mission partner, soon to be life partner, as he made every attempt to calm his nerves and reassure him Misty was safe. But he wouldn't know for sure until she got in touch with him, and in the meantime it seemed like there was nothing to do but worry.

"I'll get that Ian, you stay put. Oh thank heavens."

Ian didn't even hear the doorbell ring, but at Milo's tone he felt a sense of calm knowing who was at the door.

"Oh come in sweetheart you look terrible." Milo said as he hugged Misty.

"Th...thanks Milo."

"Blue Eyes! Oh thank God."

Ian said teary with relief as he too embraced his distraught friend.

"It's okay. You're safe now, everything's okay."

"Oh Ian. God I'm blubbering all over the place. I 'm so sorry I must have ruined your evening."

"No, its fine girl, don't worry about it." Milo said.

"Oh excuse me for a second guys. I think I heard the phone."

"So are you guys together now? You make a great couple really. Milo is a wonderful guy." Misty tried to change the subject as she and Ian went to sit in the sunroom.

"Ok enough about me. How badly am I gonna have to kick Kevin's ass, because believe me the way you came in here makes it inevitable I'm gonna punch his lights out."

"No, Ian. Really, Kevin's reaction was to be expected with the circumstances. I knew it was going to be ugly from the minute I walked in the door. I mean I told him, after he checked the safe and found, well, nothing. He told me he hates the sight of me, smashed the frame with my certificate, I told him I knew about the gambling, he flipped, called me every name in the book, I went to the guesthouse got a call from Lana, grabbed my stuff, and came here. And scene."

"Oh my God, well, at least its over. He knows and now you can move on, live your life in peace."

"Ian, I don't know. I just don't know how I'm gonna get past this." Misty said as she grasped Ian's hand for comfort.

But as she took his hand in hers and stared at him with eyes full of nothing but emptiness and fear, Ian stared back at Misty in shock and disbelief.

In that one moment, memories came flooding back into his head. He knew why he was instantly drawn to Misty from the second he laid eyes on her at Kevin's mansion. where he had heard that nervous laugh with a twinge of a southern accent before, why her eyes, those beautiful blue eyes, were so familiar and soothing to him. Why he knew that at whatever cost he had to protect her no matter what. He finally recognized Misty as the woman she really was, not a spy, not one of Kevin's average girls he picked up at a bar or on the streets. He recognized her as his patient, his almost fiancé, his companion and friend from so many years ago.

"Ian? Ian what's wrong? What are you staring at? Ian! You're scaring me. What's wrong?"

"Oh my God, it's you! It's really you"

"Ian what are you talking about? Who"

"It's you! Dixie! It's really you!" Kevin whispered.

"Ian..?"

Misty was about to ask the now pale Ian what was wrong, if he needed something to drink when she heard Milo come running from the other room in a panic yelling.

"Oh my God, I can't. I can't breathe!"

"Milo! Is that you? Where are you? What's wrong! Wait, I'll come find you!"

"No, no time. You, you need to get out! I, I just got a tip from one of Kevin's guys. Misty, you need to leave! Right now, they're coming for you!"

Milo screamed as loud as he could from the other side of the house.

"Milo, wait right there I." Suddenly a shot fired and saw Milo saw the entire glass wall of the sunroom shatter to the ground.

"Oh dear God!" Milo just stood at the end of the hallway paralyzed with fear.

He heard Misty let out a blood curdling scream as she raced back into the sunroom and saw Ian on the ground in the midst of the broken glass with a dart sticking out of his arm.

"I. Ian! Ian, Oh my God! Oh my God don't panic, all we have to do is call a doctor, you'll be fine in a second, damnit where's my cell phone!" Misty panicked.

"No, no Blue Eyes, there. There's no time."

"Yes there is..." Misty sobbed as she stroked Ian's face.

"Yes you'll be just fine Ian I promise, you'll be just fine."

"No, Misty, listen to me, Ian said weakly.

"The guys. The guys are still out there...you need, you need to sneak out, use the tunnels okay. get..get to. Pine Valley, in Pennsylvania. You'll...you'll find..."

"Find what Ian? Find what! C'mon Ian please, just keep talking you'll be fine." Misty begged.

"Your family, your old life, you'll, you'll get it all back...I promise. Go! Leave, right now."

Misty didn't know what to say. If it weren't for her friend she would be the one lying there minutes from death. She knelt down with tears streaming down her face and kissed him on the cheek.

"Ian...I"

"Go.., we'll, we'll both be in better places soon..."

Suddenly one of the maids came, helped Misty stand up and escorted her out of the sunroom towards the tunnels. Suddenly Milo came rushing in with a paramedic but they both knew it was too late. "hHoney, I." Milo sobbed.

"Milo."

"Yes, yes what is it?"

"..Find blue eyes. Find Misty. Keep her safe, keep Dixie safe..."

"I will, I...I promise."

And having heard those words, knowing Misty would be safe and that his mission was accomplished Ian headed towards the white light.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Pine Valley Di/Aidan's house

"Uncle Del!"

"Hey kid. So Julia just dropped you off?"

"Yeah, she had to go to the hospital for work and well, since Daddy's away she said you have to watch me."

"Alright then, c'mon in."

"So why are ya staying with Aunt Di and Uncle Aidan? Did something happen with your book; is it not a good one?" Kate asked innocently.

"Okay, who gave you that idea? Hmm? Let me guess, your daddy told ya right?'

"Well, kind of..." Kate said shyly.

"Well kind of!" Del laughed as he tickled his niece on the chin until she giggled.

"I'm staying with Di and Aidan simply because they asked me to housesit for the weekend. And my book is fabulous by the way."

"Whatever you say Uncle Del!" Kate rolled her eyes and went to the guestroom. She decided before dinner to call Emma but remembered she was off on a camping trip. Then suddenly her cell phone started buzzing.

"Hello, Kate speaking, oh hi Little A. What's going on? You like never call me. How's J.R and Whitney? How's Europe?"

"Well actually I'm not in Europe. I'm at the Chandler Mansion. We flew home last night. Dad got a call from Grandpa."

"What about? Is anything wrong?"

"Well, I'm calling from up in my bedroom. Whitney told me to go play for awhile, so there's something big going on."

"Do you have any idea what?"

"Well, oh wait, there's yelling! Grandpa is saying that he and Miss Krystal just broke up, because. Oh I can't hear why! Whitney just told Daddy to close the door."

Kate didn't need to hear the rest of the story. She knew exactly why Mr. Frosty and Krystal weren't together anymore.

"Kate! You still there? Hello!"

"Oh, sorry Little A, I, um, got distracted for a second."

"Do you know why Grandpa and Krystal are broken up?" Little A asked curiously.

"Uh, yeah. Little A, I...I think you're a bit too young to know why. But, there is a reason. Um, they fell out of love."

"Oh, like my dad and my old mommy did."

"Yeah, kind of. Little A, I gotta go now. I'll talk to you later, yeah um. Bye."

Kate didn't want to tell Little A the real reason that Krystal and Adam had broken up, she already knew exactly what was going on. She also knew how upset she was by it all, and cared for her nephew Little A too much to make him feel the same way. She thought to herself as she angrily hung up the phone.

"Hey, kid! Dinner's ready!" Del said as he came into the guestroom. "Hey are you okay? You look kind of glum."

"No, no I'm fine. Uncle Del. Is it okay if I take a walk? I'm not that hungry."

"You? Not hungry. You aren't sick or anything?"

Del said as he felt her forehead.

"No, I'm fine. I promise."

"Sure, I guess it's alright. Besides I have some work I could do anyways. Just don't wander too far off, only to the park if anyplace. And if it starts raining come back home."

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Del asked curiously as he handed Kate her jacket.

"Yup." Kate said as she walked out onto the porch. As she made her way to the playground, she couldn't help but get angrier as another realization set in. Since Krystal and Adam had already broken up, maybe the real reason her dad was away was so he could be with Krystal for the weekend. This thought just depressed her all the more as Krystal was the last person she would ever want to see her father with.

After a few minutes she decided to make her way back home when all of a sudden she heard a sound coming from the bench by the bushes. As she was about to run back inside she realized the sound was someone crying.

"h.Hello? Is anyone there?" Kate said softly as she headed towards the noise.

As Kate walked over she saw a person on the bench with her head in her hands.

"Who, who are you? Can I help you? Why are you crying?"

Kate asked as she moved closer to the person, who looked up in surprise and was about to stand up, but then suddenly she paused as she recognized the little girl standing in front of her.

"Miss Misty? Is that you?"

"Kate?" Misty looked up in astonishment.

"Yeah it's me! What are you doing in the park? Are you lost?"

"No, sweetie I'm fine, really. I just got back to town and came here to clear my head. What are you doing here so late?"

"Same thing as you, just wanted to think a bit." Kate said as she sat down next to her old teacher. "So are you gonna be teaching me again? Because the lady who's our new teacher is real mean. My class misses you!"

"Oh Kate, I don't know yet. I had a well, change of plans and don't really know what my next move is, anyways don't worry about me. You should be getting back home, it's getting dark out. You aren't here by yourself are you?"

"Yeah well, I, um. Uh oh." Kate said with embarrassment as Del came running over to the bench.

"Hey you! Get away from my niece right now! Kate you should know better then to talk to strangers! C'mon, it's getting dark!"

"But Uncle Del, Miss Misty isn't a stranger."

"Well who is she?" Del asked as he looked at the tired looking brunette standing next to his niece.

"My name's Misty, actually. See I was Kate's old teacher and I saw her wandering around the park this late and came over to make sure she was alright. I'm so sorry if I caused any trouble."

"No, it's, it's no trouble at all. I'm Del Henry, Kate's uncle."

"It's nice to meet you." Misty said as she went to shake Del's hand but stumbled on a tree root.

"Hey are you okay?" Del said as he helped Misty to her feet.

"Yeah, fine. Just a tree root, I'm gonna go. I'll see you later Kate."

"Wait, Misty! Let me walk you back to your hotel, I mean no offense but you don't look so good right now. At least let me make sure you get home safe."

"Uh, well actually. I was just going to find a room right now. It's late. You should get Kate back home. I'll be fine."

"Hang on, why don't you just stay with me? I'm house-sitting for my sister, and you look like you need a place to crash."

"Oh no it's way too much trouble. You barely even know me, and, no it's fine. I'll be fine."

"C'mon. Just come on back. You can stay tonight and I'll help you find a place to stay in the morning."

"Please Miss Misty?" Kate asked.

"Hey look Kate would really like it, and besides it's dark out, and you never know what idiots are out here at night."

"Well, I don't know. I."

"It's settled then, Follow me!" Del said enthusiastically as he led the way back to the house.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

PV

"Okay Kate lets go show Misty around a bit."

"Okay Uncle Del and your pockets buzzing." Kate giggled as she took Misty to the guestroom.

"Hang on one second girls. Hey Di, what's up?"

"Del, Oh I'm glad I caught you. You guys are good right. Kate's still alive isn't she?"

"Yes sister dearest she's perfect."

"Okay, well listen I'm not gonna be heading home for a little bit. I'm catching up on some office stuff."

"Office stuff? PI you may be but secretary you aren't. Why aren't you out with the guys?"

"Eh, I didn't feel so hot; something at lunch must've disagreed with me, so I'm sitting the investigating out this time. Aidan and Tad just left a second ago. We got a new case, something about a casino thief who's hit PV, so I'm reading a few background checks. I'll be home in awhile."

"Okay I'll see ya. Feel better. Bye."

"See ya. Wonder why he's in such a hurry." Di said to the empty office as she got up to get a drink. But then suddenly she felt dizzy and plopped back onto the couch.

"Whoa, geez. That must have been some Chinese food. Eh, this can wait until tomorrow."

Di said as she slowly got off the couch and headed to her car, with the sinking feeling in her gut that she got whenever Del hung up the phone that abruptly. She knew something was going on, and was definitely not up to dealing with it tonight.

"God I hope Del didn't do anything crazy." she silently wished as she began to drive home.

"Del, great job on dinner. Really, your Mac and cheese. Absolute perfection." Misty teased as she proceeded to eat her basically inedible dinner.

"Miss Misty, this Mac and cheese is like soup! No offense Uncle Del but Aunt Julia's tastes so much better!"

"Hey I wouldn't get so sarcastic with me here! I mean I take you two in out of the goodness of my heart and you have the nerve to mock my macaroni and cheese! Well, I'll have no more of that!" Del pouted as he stomped off to the kitchen with Misty and Kate's bowls leaving the girls in hysterics.

However their laughter was cut short when they heard someone outside jiggling with the key.

"Hey Del? Kate? My... my keys stuck!"

"Coming!" Kate said as she unlatched the door and gave Di a hug. "Hey sweetie, oh I missed you. C'mon lets go in its cold out here. Where's Del? Oh, And who is…oh my God."

Di trailed off as she stared at a woman who looked remarkably like a background check photo she had just seen at the office standing in her living room.

"Oh Aunt Di, this is Miss Misty, Miss Misty, meet Aunt Di."

"Um, Kate. Can you go upstairs and start getting ready for bed? Please, it's getting late." Di said.

"But it's only..."

"Kate, just please go to the guestroom. Now."

"Um okay." Kate said with confusion as she gave Di a hug and went upstairs.

"Oh wait, is it okay if when you guys are done Miss Misty comes upstairs to say goodnight?"

"Sure Kate I'll say goodbye before I leave." Misty said with little confidence as Kate ran upstairs, as she felt very intimidated at this tall blonde woman watching her every move.

"Um, look. I just well, Del invited me in, and said I could stay but I'm obviously intruding and well yeah, I'll just go. My name's Misty by the way. I was Kate's teacher for a bit and I saw her at the park, and um yeah, I'll see you. Beautiful house by the way."

Misty said as she grabbed her bag and practically bolted for the door.

"Misty, you say that's your name?"

Di said as she blocked the other woman's exit.

"Yes. That's me."

"Well, We haven't been formerly introduced, my names Di Devane, of Devane Detective Agency."

"Oh really? That's very interesting." Misty said nervously.

"And I'm actually working on a case, a pretty big one actually, involving a wave of casino heists. It's pretty intense stuff, ya know?"

Di said as she curiously eyed her guest and made certain she was interrogating the right woman. She was known for never forgetting a face and was certain she recognized this stranger as the woman from the report she found at the office.

"Yeah, intense. Now if you'll excuse me Miss Di, I'll just leave and..."

"And you'll go where? To go on a few more casino heists, Agent Sunshine?" Di said menacingly, fully in P.I mode, knowing from this woman's inability to fully look her in the eye or speak without stuttering she had the right girl.

"Oh yes I know all about you Misty. You've robbed 3 consecutive casinos in the tri-state area, and apparently from the way my niece seems so attached to you, worked also as a part time teacher. Very nice cover-up."

"I. It's not a cover-up. I have my degree to teach and I'm starting over."

"Starting over from what, your life of crime? Well Misty I don't see exactly how much teaching you could be doing in between jobs, which all actually occurred about where you are now, and your next stop of course would be Pine Valley, I mean what thief wouldn't have heard of the Slater casino chain here?"

"No, no you don't understand."

"Oh I think I understand perfectly well. The evidence is right here. There's no reason why I haven't brought you down to the station by now."

"But I...I didn't…Damn you Kevin Sturgess!"

Misty yelled in hysterics as she put her head in her hands and sobbed. She couldn't believe this. All this work, all this effort to get away, all this effort to start fresh and she was about to be framed for crimes she didn't commit. But she knew she was done for; there was no way she could get out of this. She didn't have Ian, no friends, no family; just a jail cell was in her future.

"Just cuff me and take me away! Just do it! You have your man officer!" Misty cried with her head on her knees as she held out her wrists waiting for her fate.

"Well what are you waiting for?"

"Misty I..."

"What, you what Di? C'mon just take me away already! It's not like I don't deserve whatever is coming to me. I mean look at everything I've admitted to..."

"Misty! Can you shut up for a second and let me ask you something?"

"What?'' Misty asked.

"Kevin Sturgess. How do you know him? Why did you mention him the second I started accusing you?" Di said with concern and surprise in her voice.

"C'mon Misty, you've got to tell me how you know him. Why did you mention his name?"

"Kevin is the reason I'm in this mess in the first place!" Misty got up and started pacing around the room angrily.

"Kevin is the man who took me in, said he loved me, made me dye my hair, made me sign his damn contract, made me his partner in crime only to get someone to take the fall for when his pathetic excuse for life came crashing down. Kevin is the reason that you're about to arrest me for something I didn't even do! This is the first time I've been in Pine Valley in almost two years! I didn't rob those casinos! I came back to teach, but obviously Kevin is gonna take that away from me too, just like he took Ian, just like he took everything!"

"Misty just relax now." Di said as she tried to calm the frantic woman down.

"Listen to me, alright! I get it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I...I knew Kevin, a long, long time ago. I've been exactly where you're at right now. I signed that contract too! I worked for Kevin. I went to prison for that man!"

"Wait, you're that Di! Oh my God, Every time someone would even mention your name Kevin would go berserk!"

"Yeah well, with what I did he has every reason to do that. So you, you tried to escape him right? You tried to get outta there and start a new life as a teacher?"

"Yes, I got out of there alive but Ian wasn't so lucky." Misty got choked up even mentioning her friend's name.

"Oh my God. Come here." Di said as she gave Misty a hug.

"Listen to me, I'm gonna help you out. You can stay here. I'm not going to make you go to prison for being forced into a life of crime. I guarantee that for these latest heists you were being set up. We'll find the real goons that did this and punish them. Maybe we'll even get hold of Mr. Sturgess himself."

"You, you would do that? Risk your job to hide me? Because I'm, I'm not all innocent here. I mean I worked for Kevin for years. I went on more jobs for him then anyone."

"I know. Well, I went through the same exact thing with him and look where I am now. We'll look out for you. I promise. I'm not letting that son of a bitch make a victim out of you. And also, my niece obviously is a big fan of yours. I'm not going to be the one to take her favorite teacher to prison. We'll find a way out of this. I swear it."

"Swear what? Misty what did you say? Oh hey Di, you're home early! Um..."

Del said with a trace of nervousness in his voice, afraid of his sister's reaction to his guest.

"Yeah Del, I didn't feel so great and cut out of work early."

"Well, I see you've already met. Misty, this is my sister Di."

"Yeah Del we've talked, about everything. I mean we covered it all."

"Yeah Di, but me and Del didn't exactly have the same conversation as me and you did." Misty said nervously as she gave Di a look.

"Oh." Di whispered as she concluded her brother wasn't fully clued in to the situation.

"Huh?" Del said with confusion.

"I mean, all we did was have dinner with Kate. The conversation mostly was aimed at Del's Mac and cheese."

Misty laughed.

"I mean we didn't get too personal or anything."

"Hello?"

Everyone looked up to see Kate at the foot of the stairs in her pajamas.

"What's going on?" Kate asked with a shy smile.

"Hey sweetie. Wow I had no idea it was so late!"

Di said as she glanced at the clock. "

"You all ready for bed?" Del asked.

"Yup. Hey Miss Misty you're still here!" Kate said with enthusiasm.

"Hey you! You know I actually promised I'd say goodnight before I..."

"Oh by all means, go ahead" Del said as he waved Misty in the direction of the bedrooms.

"Miss Misty's staying with us?"

Kate asked happily.

"Well for the time being, yes she is. Kate, why don't you go and show Misty her room?"

"Okay! C'mon follow me!"

Kate said as she and Misty ran down the hallway.

"Okay Di, what is going on? What do you know about Misty that I don't?"

"Del. I"

As Di was about to tell her brother what she knew the phone rang.

"I'll get it. Oh hi Aidan, Hang on. Del, ya mind?"

"Oh, I'm already outta here. No reason for me to listen to all your gushiness."

Del said as he left the living room.

"Anyways, what's going on babe did you and Tad find anything?"

"Not a trace of 'em. But me and Tad are gonna probably find a room for the night. It's too stormy out to drive."

"Oh okay. Gosh, I wish I could be with you, we'd have tracked these guys down by now."

"Well that's what we'll have to suffer without our trusty fellow agent, now won't we? Are you feeling better though? You looked sort of green when we left."

"Eh, I'm getting there. Look I gotta go..."

"Oh hang on, you won't believe what Tad just told me, He just popped the question to a certain Ms Carey. Yeah the ol' mate is gonna be an honest man in six months!"

"Oh my God! You can't be serious."

"Now why would I kid ya about this? He's right here if ya want to ask him yourself."

'No. No it's fine. Listen sweetie I gotta go. Del's cooking dinner."

"Don't let that klutzy bro of yours anywhere near our kitchen!"

"Oh he'll be fine. Tell Tad congratulations for me. I love you. Ya know that?"

"And I love you too. I'll see ya later. Bye sweetheart"

"Bye."

Di said as she hung up the phone with more emotions running through her than she could handle. She needed to vent, now.

"DEL!"

"What is the matter with you? Misty, Misty just said goodnight to Kate, they're both asleep! What is wrong with you?"

"Oh no, I didn't realize I was so loud. I didn't wake Kate did I?"

"No. No you didn't they're fine. Now if you don't mind. Do you mind telling me what's going on around here that I don't know about? Is it about Aidan, is it the fact that I brought Misty back because I'm getting her a room tomorrow. What's up?"

Del asked with frustration in his voice.

"Okay, I know something you may not know about Misty..."

Di went on to explain to Del about Misty being on the run from Kevin and was being framed for crimes she hadn't committed. How it was vital that he keep the news about Misty to himself, how the police, or even Tad and Aidan could not find out the truth. That she was going to have to keep a low profile until the real thief was found.

"But Di they're, they're your partners at the agency! You're married to Aidan for God's sake! But besides that you could lose your P.I license for hiding a criminal!"

"You think that hasn't crossed my mind!" Di snapped.

"But I have to do this Del. That woman is in exactly the same position that I was when I knew Kevin. She's running for her life! Her best friend was just killed by that bastard, and she was the intended target. A few years ago that was me, okay! That was my life. I ended up in prison to protect that man, I'm not going to let that happen to any other women Kevin happens to recruit. Not as long as I'm working for the good guys."

"Okay, okay I get it. I won't say a word. But what's your plan now? Do we not let her leave the house until the real thief is caught? And also, Kate is Misty's number one fan. What do we do about her?"

After a while the siblings decided to get Misty an apartment close to town until in a matter of time, one of Kevin's men slipped up and they could get him to confess to the crimes. They also decided to tell Kate that her teacher was on vacation until the coast was clear, when Misty could come out of hiding and get her job as a teacher.

"Wow, I can't believe we're gonna go through with this." Del said.

"Well we need to so just deal with it." Di said with authority.

"And if you can't justify it to yourself think of how happy Kate was when we told her Misty was staying the night. Her face totally lit up."

"Yeah ...I.I kind of get why." Del said sadly.

"What are you getting at? Del, what's wrong. What are you thinking?"

"You're, you're gonna think I'm crazy for this. But you know, when I found Kate at the park, and she was sitting there on the bench with Misty, I don't know, but when I saw them and bolted over to Kate like a lunatic, when Misty saw me, I don't know, but for a second, just the expression on her face. It was like, I saw Dixie staring right back at me."

"Oh Del."

Di whispered sadly to her brother. She knew even after all this time, Del still was grieving for Dixie and felt guilty and angry at himself after her death for not being a better brother to her, especially towards the last year of her life, He also had the nagging reputation of only being a freeloader from his sister. Contacting her only when he needed something, being money, or a kidney. This in turn made Di feel all the shame of when she had taken her sister's life and how she had treated her come back to haunt her again. Even though Del was always the cocky flirty doofus with his friends, Di knew him better then that and saw the rare sensitive side of her brother that was hidden behind the jokes.

"And did you know what else? When I was walking down the hallway and passed Kate's room, I heard someone singing. I thought maybe it was the radio but I got closer, and it was Misty humming trying to get Kate to sleep, and it sounded like the tune of Dixie's lullaby to Jr when he was a baby."

"You are my Sunshine, I remember." Di said.

"Yeah."

"Look Del, I know. I miss Dixie too. I miss her like crazy. It's okay that you miss her too..."

"Yeah well. Look I probably just have Misty on the brain 'cause she's one hot chick!"

"Del!"

Di said with amazement at his switch from sweet to obnoxious in a matter of seconds. But realized he'd reached his sensitivity limit for the next six months,

"I can't believe you!" Di said half laughing.

"No, hey I'm just kidding. Even though..."

"Del!"

"Okay new subject then. You never answered my question. Why did you screech after you hung up with Aidan? It couldn't have been just about Misty."

"Oh yeah. Do you have a nice suit?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"We've gotta go to a wedding."

Di said sounding agitated.

"Really? Who's?"

"Oh a certain P.I we all know and love and his bride to be my former cell buddy."

"Oh no." Del said with disgust.

"Oh yes. Tad and Krystal are getting hitched. In 6 months to be precise. Apparently Tad doesn't want to take a chance this time."

"I can't believe it. Tad is marrying a woman who was all good and ready to raise her child with Adam Chandler. That's just swell. Well let me tell you I'm not letting her within a foot of my niece."

"Yeah well, look lets keep quiet about it until Tad and Aidan get back. Kate shouldn't hear this from us."

"No, she really shouldn't hear it from anyone. And let me say right now you can forget about the suit, I'm not setting foot anywhere near that wedding. Good night Di."

"Hey Del wait. If you go you'll need a date and I have a feeling that 6 months from now a current roomie of ours would be cleared of a stubborn heist charge. You interested in taking that suit out now?" Di asked.

After checking in on their sleeping houseguest, Del made up his mind.

"I'll dig out that suit tomorrow. Good night."

Del said as he went to his room.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

PV Elementary

1 Month Later

"Okay boys and girls. Wow today sure went by fast didn't it. All right, get your backpacks from your cubbies and go out in the hall to find your parents alright! Go on now. Bye everybody!"

Misty said with a sigh of relief as she waved goodbye to her class, the day had seemed to go on forever. Even though teaching was her dream job sometimes her class could be a handful. Despite it all she was thankful she was given the opportunity, not expecting for it to happen after she came so close to going to prison. Luckily another suspect came into the picture at the last minute and Misty was proved innocent of the casino crimes, thanks to excellent lawyers combined with Di and Del's help. Without them she wouldn't have been able to make it this far and was grateful for all of their help, from hiding her from the cops to getting her a room at the Valley Inn. She also had faith that Ian was keeping an eye on her too.

"So Miss Misty are you gonna give me a ride back to Wildwind today?" Kate asked as she grabbed her backpack.

"Oh sweetie, not today. No, today your daddy is coming home and he'll make sure you get home. C'mon I'll walk you out."

"So, Miss Misty..."

"Yes Kate?"

"Um I just was wondering, have you and my daddy met?"

"Well, I've seen your daddy before when he drops you off, but we haven't really talked much."

"Oh, 'cause I think you'd really like each other a lot."

"Oh, alright. Well look Kate I think your rides here. I'll see you tomorrow okay? Bye!"

Misty said as she walked back to her office. Despite what she had said, Misty had only heard Kate's father mentioned around town, but had never actually had a conversation with him. She heard about his reputation for being a bit of a ladies man, but that he had a great sense of humor which had obviously been handed down to his little girl. She also knew though that he was a respected P.I, accounting for her never meeting him face to face and always hiding from him. Even though another agent had been convicted of the crimes Misty still hadn't gotten to know most of Pine Valley outside of her students and the staff of the Valley Inn, and had every intention of keeping it that way for a while longer.

"Oh Daddy I had the best day ever! I missed you so much! What was the big surprise...

Oh, hi. Miss Krystal."

"Hey sweetie, your daddy had to work later then he thought he would so he asked me to give you a ride back to Wildwind. Now c'mon, in the car."

"Oh. Um, okay..."

"So how was your day at school?"

Krystal said from the front seat.

"Fine, I guess." Kate said with little enthusiasm as she stared out the car window, wishing she would have just walked with Emma.

Finally the car got to Wildwind and Kate was about to get out when Krystal stopped her.

"Hey Kate. Is it okay if I talk to you about something really quick. It's kind of important."

"Sure. What's up?"

"Well, sweetie. You know that your daddy and I have been well, going out quite a bit lately."

"Yeah, 'cause your friends."

"Actually, your daddy and I are a bit more then, just friends. We've known each other for a long time now, and we have a, special bond."

"Okay and..?"

"And a month or so ago, your daddy and I decided that, we were going to, well, show how much we care about each other and our kids, by starting a family together. Kate, your daddy and I are..."

Kate began to tune out Krystal, and just tried to make sense of the situation. The situation she'd wanted to avoid ever since she found she had a half sister. She had already had a feeling what Krystal's news was going to be, the second her dad told her about a big surprise. When Krystal came to get her her suspicions were confirmed when she looked at her hand and saw a diamond ring.

"Kate? Honey, did you hear me?"

"What, Oh yeah, I heard you."

"So, How about a hug for your new step mama. Kate?"

"I. I have to go."

Kate said as she jumped out of the car.

"By the way Miss Krystal, I only hug people I really love who really love me back. You didn't make the list."

"Now Kate!"

"If you want a hug that badly, find my half sister Charlotte! She can give you and Daddy hugs from now on. She can be the only little girl in your new happy family. I'm done!"

Kate yelled angrily as she slammed the car door and bolted to the park.

"Kate! Get back here!" Krystal screeched as she tried to chase after the girl but it was no use. She decided to go to Wildwind and figure out where her soon to be stepdaughter liked to run off to.

Somehow without Kate even realizing she wound up at the park after sprinting from Krystal's car. She found a park bench and looked into the distance.

"Great, now I gotta find a new place to live. I definitely can't go home ever again. If Daddy hadn't asked her to marry him none of this would have happened. I could be at home watching cartoons with Daddy and Emma and I could play house and everything would be fine. But no, she had to come and ruin everything."

Kate said to herself. She knew though it was getting late and that she had to come up with a new plan. She saw in the distance her school and decided she'd head that way. Maybe she'd figure out a way to get to the Chandler Mansion to see Little A or even the best route to Di and Del's. As she approached the school she saw someone recognize her and run over in her direction.

"Miss Misty!" Kate said happily. She didn't have to go far to find somewhere to stay, hopefully her teacher would let her stay with her, she thought to herself as she walked into the school.

"Honestly Kate Martin. What is your obsession with wandering through Pine Valley at all hours? Oh my God, you did get home didn't you? You had someone come and get you after I went back inside right!" Misty panicked

"Yeah I went home first, and then I left. And I'm not gonna go back."

"Okay listen. You stay right here in the courtyard and don't move. I'm going to go, lock up the classroom, and when I come back we'll talk about this. Alright?"

"Yeah that's fine!"

"Good, don't move."

Misty said as she walked to her room, all the while with an eerie feeling someone was watching as she cut through the outdoor path behind the school to her room. As she locked her door and went back the same path to the courtyard she heard footsteps coming from behind her, and as she broke into a sprint she felt a hand come over her mouth.

"Don't say a word, and we can make this go very easy Agent Sunshine."

Suddenly Misty started kicking and screaming despite the hand trying to silence her cries. She tried as best she could to get attention and heard footsteps but then saw everything fade to black.

"Miss Misty?" Kate said cautiously as it had been 10 minutes since Misty went to lock the room. As she ran down the path to the classroom she heard a muffled scream in the distance, a thud, and footsteps.

"Miss Misty! Oh no! Wake up. Miss Misty please! C'mon wake up!" Kate begged and pleaded trying to get Misty to open her eyes.

"Help somebody please! Help!"

Then suddenly Kate saw a mysterious shadow behind her and turned around.

"Mister? Can you help me? She…She won't wake up…Please!"

Kate sobbed as she looked back at Misty, but felt a hand come over her mouth and she passed out, as she felt herself being carried off by the man in black..


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

PV

"Kate! Kate sweetheart! Where are you? C'mon it's Daddy. You gotta come out now sweetheart, it's too late for you to be outside. C'mon! Look it's just Dad alright. You come out now from where ever you're hiding and we'll talk alright? Just me and you. Kate, please! Please..."

Tad said as he wandered aimlessly around the park with tears in his eyes. It had been an hour ago that Krystal walked into Wildwind with words that made Tad's heart stop. "I lost Kate."

"Any luck Dad?"

"No…No James, not yet. I've…I've been to the playground, school, the Chicken Shack, I've called all of the kids from her class, everyone I can think of."

"Look Julia and I just left PVH and nobody's seen her. We checked the entire hospital up and down."

"Hey guys any luck?" Di said as she ran over to the bench. "I just called Aidan, he's been driving all over the place, and I just called Brooke, Opal, and Palmer. Derek's got his guys on it too."

"Tad!"

"Hey J.R."

"Well I just got all of the guys searching the Mansion and nothing. Damnit how could this have happened? Why did she just run off like that? And where is Krystal? Seriously she's the reason we're in this mess in the first place."

"J.R cut the blame game here. Krystal has been driving up and down town. What's important right now is tracking down your sister."

"Oh Derek! Anything?" Di asked nervously.

"Well we've searched this town from top to bottom and there's no trace of her."

"Well isn't that your job?" Del accused. "I mean she's a little kid how far could she run off to?"

"Del that's enough!" Di said with annoyance.

"No, your brother, surprisingly, has a point. If Kate was in this town or its surroundings we would have tracked her down by now. Tad your daughter is smart but a 6 year old girl can barely cross the street by herself, let alone skip town."

"So you think she was…Oh my God." Tad said with the sinking realization that his little girl may not have run away after all.

"Yes. We've declared Kate's disappearance a kidnapping. Now if you don't mind we should all come down to the station. We need to ask you a few questions."

PVH Police Dept.

"Now Krystal, you say that Kate bolted out of your car parked at Wildwind, and that when you got out you tried to follow her but lost her in the process." Derek asked.

"Yes. I got out of my car and Kate had already run off. I checked to see if she was in Wildwind, she wasn't. And then I told everyone what happened. Look Tad, I'm gonna head on back to Wildwind with Jamie and Julia if by some miracle Kate comes back. Your mom and Palmer are there too. Call me if you get anything new alright?"

"Sure sweetheart."

"Okay, now. Does anyone have an idea as to who would have motive to kidnap Kate, keeping in mind she is the daughter of a detective who has been involved in some major cases recently."

"Are you saying Kate could have been taken to get revenge on Tad?" Aidan asked anxiously.

"Well it's quite possible."

"Oh my God."

"Di, what is it?" Aidan asked.

"Nothing it's just... Del, could you come with me for a second?"

"Sure no problem. What's wrong?" Del asked when they were out of earshot.

"Del…The casino thieves!"

"What about them?"

"No, listen. Tad and Aidan busted them! We got one of their guys in prison!"

"So wait... Kevin and his guys could've taken Kate for revenge?"

"Yeah!"

"Excuse me guys sorry to break up the little bonding minute here but we kind of got an emergency on our hands! Ya mind?" Tad said sarcastically.

"Listen you go in and tell them Di, I gotta make a phone call."

"Okay hurry up!" Di said as she walked back into the office ready to share her theory on Kate's disappearance.

"C'mon Misty pick up the phone already...Damn machine. Misty look it's Del, you gotta come to the cops now, Kate's missing and we think your good friend Kevin could have something to do with it. Call me back the second you get this? And just out of curiosity where are you? I was supposed to pick you up at the school today and you weren't…weren't there. Beep."

Del just held the phone in shock as he had a sinking feeling in his gut that his niece wasn't the only one who had pulled a disappearing act.

He knew how skittish Misty was even after she was cleared for those crimes simply because of how threatening Mr. Sturgess could be.

Fearing the worst Del walked back to the office only to be nearly trampled down by Tad and Aidan.

"What was that all about?"

"C'mon! We've gotta go to Scarsdale. Now!" Di said to her brother as everyone ran out to their cars.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Scarsdale

Kevin's Mansion

"Where, where am I? My head. I... oh no... Oh my God..."

Misty looked around and was surrounded in mostly darkness, with a bit of moonlight from a skylight.

She was cold, groggy and unable to even move. She looked down and realized she was tied up, in what looked like a basement.

She tried to figure out how she had gotten here, where she was, and why she was in a total daze. She tried to stand up by soon fell to her feet as her ankles were bound together. As she fell, she saw her wallet fall out of her pocket, and out came an I.D card of some sort.

"Pine Valley Elementary? Oh my God!" Misty said with alarm, as she began to remember what had happened in the courtyard. She remembered seeing Kate kneeling next to her, and then everything went black. She then panicked realizing it was likely she wasn't the only hostage.

"Kate? Kate Martin? Sweetheart its, its Misty. Miss Misty. Are you here?"

"Miss Misty?" Kate said weakly from the opposite side of the basement, but Misty was unable to hear her.

"Sweetie answer me please!" Misty begged.

"Oh, now there's no reason to shout darling. I'm here now."

Misty rolled on her back to see where the voice was coming from.

"K...Kevin..."

"Yes its m...me." Kevin stuttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Honestly Misty, did you think you could escape me. Me? After driving off into the night after calling me a few choice names? You should know me a tad better then that don't you think?"

Kevin said as he knelt down beside Misty and smoothed her hair.

"Did you miss me? I knew you'd regret leaving me like that."

"Get away from me!" Misty said as she jerked back.

"What do you want?"

"Oh Misty, all I want is another chance. This is a wonderful opportunity for you, for both of us actually. See, I realized that after I lost you, I was well feeling empty inside, almost as empty as my safe was when you ran away from me. So out of the goodness of my heart I'm giving you another chance. You can live under the same roof as me and you can be my top agent again. All those missions you missed, you can catch up on them. What do you say? And who knows maybe after all my money is earned back by you single-handedly; we can maybe give me and you another shot. Whatcha say?"

"I'd rather die." Misty hissed

"Oh, I'm so, so hurt Misty. Here I am trying to be a gentleman and you treat me like poison."

"I just call it like I see it." Misty snapped back angrily.

"Well, if you prefer death, maybe even death by poison if you insist, I suppose it can be arranged. Now, who do we have here?"

Kevin said as he walked over to a half asleep Kate.

"Get away from her!"

"Oh come now, I adore children..."

"NO! I mean it! Do whatever…whatever you want to me, but leave her alone, release Kate now Kevin."

"Kate. What a lovely name." Kevin said as Kate stirred.

"Miss Misty?" Kate said weakly.

"Kate! Oh sweetheart I'm right here alright! I'm right here!" Misty tried to yell out.

"Why hello Kate. You know I always wanted a daughter. Hey little girl. What would you say if I took care of you from now on? Hmm? You could be a brand new agent and I could be your dad and we could go on missions together. What do you say to that?

"Kate don't answer him..."

"Now Misty let the little girl talk What do ya say Kate?"

"I…I already have a daddy you mean man!" Kate yelped as she kicked Kevin in the shins.

"Let me and Miss Misty go!"

"Good job Kate!" Misty whispered from across the room.

"Why you little brat, I ought to.." Kevin was interrupted by a walkie talkie ringing.

"Hey boss. The cops are close man."

"Okay radio the other guys. Tell the guys to get all the goods together and split, And then send in the a-squad, the a-squad! The arsonists dummy! We gotta have this place be nothing but a couple of ashes by the time the cops show up. Over and out."

"Oh my God!" Misty whispered with sheer terror as she struggled to get free.

"Hey, what about the chicks man?"

"Untie the kid and get her outta here. We don't need cops asking questions. Now Bruno!"

As Bruno picked up Kate and carried her to the tunnels, Misty breathed a sigh of relief that the girl was safe, but wasn't that confident about her own fate.

"Well what about the other one?"

"Hmmm." Kevin said slyly as he approached the still trapped Misty,

"Maybe her good friend Ian can come and rescue her. Hit the tunnels men." Kevin said with pure evil in his voice as he kissed Misty on the hand.

"Last chance..."

Misty ignored him with tears streaming down her face and struggled to get free of the ropes.

"Fine, bitch. Good luck getting out of this barbecue." Kevin said as he tightened the ropes and bolted out through the smoky tunnels.

Scarsdale

"Okay guys I think we're getting close."

"Close to where exactly? Close to more trees! 'Cause that's all I've seen since the last time you said 'we're getting close'. What, do you think my daughter is stashed up in a thief's tree house someplace?" Tad said anxiously.

"Look mate just calm down, alright. Di has a pretty good sense for these types of things."

"Thanks babe!" Di said proudly from the driver's seat.

"However her sense of direction, not exactly up to snuff if ya know what I'm saying."

With this Tad laughed a bit.

"Excuse me!"

"I'm just saying, do you recall the last little road trip we decided to take? We decided to take a drive into the city, and getting there was fine, but Di got us so completely off course to take us back to PV we ended up staying at a shack in the middle of the woods."

"Hey that ended up being very romantic. We built a fire, it was nice."

"Well we aren't looking to stay in the woods tonight Di so just focus on the road." Del said

"Hey mate. You okay there?" Aidan asked the now solemn Tad curiously.

"What? Oh, yeah I'm fine Fish and Chips. I'm just thinking."

Di glanced back through the mirror to see Tad staring off at the road with a far away look in his eyes, and had a feeling she knew exactly who he was thinking about.

As Di was starting to enjoy the peaceful drive in a now quiet car, she was suddenly interrupted by an outburst from Tad.

"Hey Di, I think your sense of direction is on the money today! Look! Over there!"

Tad said has he gestured towards a house across the way.

"That's the first house we've seen in miles!"

"And this location is perfect for a thief!"

"My God, this is it!" As Di remembered Kevin being in the process of building a mansion around here years ago.

"C'mon lets go! Whoa! Oh my God. Look at that smoke!"

Del said as he jumped out of the parked car with a squad car parked directly behind it.

"Holy...C'mon men lets go! Be careful now!" Derek yelled as he sent two rescue agents into the scorched house while he met with the firemen already on the scene.

"Daddy!"

Kate said as she bolted across the yard and jumped into Tad's arms.

"Oh…Oh thank God. Oh sweetheart. Never ever do this to your dad again you hear me! Never again! Oh I'm just so glad you're okay, oh sweetheart."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the father and daughter embraced.

"Oh thank God, she's okay." Di said crying tears of relief.

"I know sweetheart, your hunch really paid off now didn't it."

"It really did, didn't it." Derek said.

"What's the verdict on the fire Derek?" Aidan asked.

"Well the fire was caused by arson, but according to the fireman there was a complex tunnel system in the basement that could be used as an escape route if necessary."

"So, we're concluding" Aidan cut in "Kate was probably kidnapped by these casino thieves for revenge against Tad arresting their head honcho."

"Guess so, we're not really sure how the arson was tied in." Derek said.

"But we got Kate back and that's all that matters." Di said.

"Daddy I'm so sorry."

"No, no shh. Sweetie its okay, it's alright. We're gonna go back home now and everything will be fine okay. I promise. Actually right after I ground you for life everything will be just fine."

Tad said as he gave Kate another hug.

"No Daddy we can't go home yet."

"Why not baby? Huh? Don't you want to see your brothers and your grandparents?"

"Yes Daddy I do, but Miss Misty is..."

"What Kate, what about Misty?" Del panicked.

"She was in there with me, she could still be in the house, Daddy we have to go back and find her!"

"Look sweetheart, I just talked to the fireman and he said that there was nobody in that entire house, am I right sir?"

"Yes, young lady we checked that entire house top to bottom, anyone who is in there must have escaped through the tunnels."

"Kate look, it's getting late, we've all had a really long day. I think it's time for me and you and everyone else to go home. Okay? Is that okay with you?" Tad asked as he playfully tickled Kate on the chin and carried her back to the car.

"Del. Hey c'mon. It's time to go."

"No, I...I can't. Not yet."

"What's wrong? Aidan and everybody are already at the car."

"Look Di. Kate told me Misty was in that house with her."

"Del, I just talked with the fireman. There is no way Misty is in that house. Now c'mon. We've gotta go."

"No! Look I'm gonna stick around okay! Either Misty is still trapped or she escaped, but she's not anyplace in PV. She's here! I haven't heard from her since Kate disappeared, and you said it yourself, those thieves ringleader was none other then Kevin Sturgess who has had it out for Misty forever. Now I'm not leaving here until I know she's safe!"

"Del, I.."

"No, Don't Del me! Misty is my friend, I thought she was yours too, but I guess I was mistaken." Del said angrily as he started back to the house.

"Del!" Di cried out.

"I'll be careful, I promise. Tell Kate I'll see her soon."

Then Del said goodbye, gave his sister a hug and walked over to the burnt out mansion.

The Next Day

"Misty, Misty c'mon. I know you're here. Kate was right! I just know it! I found your wallet. I found your school I.D. You were trapped here Misty, I'm positive! If you can hear me yell or something, please! I gotta find you!"

As Del wandered around he noticed a fallen board that looked like a door, covering the entrance to what looked like a cave or tunnel. As he pried the board away he walked into the cave and instantly tripped over an obstacle.

"No it couldn't, Oh my God!"

Del said to himself as he frantically began lifting chunks of drywall and a large board off the unconscious person at his feet.

As he knelt down and brushed the soot off of Misty's face, Del was relieved to find a very faint pulse, and instantly called an ambulance as he carried Misty out of the smoky tunnel to fresh air, hoping and praying help would come soon.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Scarsdale

"Okay guys I think we're getting close."

"Close to where exactly? Close to more trees! 'Cause that's all I've seen since the last time you said 'we're getting close'. What, do you think my daughter is stashed up in a thief's tree house someplace?" Tad said anxiously.

"Look mate just calm down, alright. Di has a pretty good sense for these types of things."

"Thanks babe!" Di said proudly from the driver's seat.

"However her sense of direction, not exactly up to snuff if ya know what I'm saying."

With this Tad laughed a bit.

"Excuse me!"

"I'm just saying, do you recall the last little road trip we decided to take? We decided to take a drive into the city, and getting there was fine, but Di got us so completely off course to take us back to PV we ended up staying at a shack in the middle of the woods."

"Hey that ended up being very romantic. We built a fire, it was nice."

"Well we aren't looking to stay in the woods tonight Di so just focus on the road." Del said

"Hey mate. You okay there?" Aidan asked the now solemn Tad curiously.

"What? Oh, yeah I'm fine Fish and Chips. I'm just thinking."

Di glanced back through the mirror to see Tad staring off at the road with a far away look in his eyes, and had a feeling she knew exactly who he was thinking about.

As Di was starting to enjoy the peaceful drive in a now quiet car, she was suddenly interrupted by an outburst from Tad.

"Hey Di, I think your sense of direction is on the money today! Look! Over there!"

Tad said has he gestured towards a house across the way.

"That's the first house we've seen in miles!"

"And this location is perfect for a thief!"

"My God, this is it!" As Di remembered Kevin being in the process of building a mansion around here years ago.

"C'mon lets go! Whoa! Oh my God. Look at that smoke!"

Del said as he jumped out of the parked car with a squad car parked directly behind it.

"Holy...C'mon men lets go! Be careful now!" Derek yelled as he sent two rescue agents into the scorched house while he met with the firemen already on the scene.

"Daddy!"

Kate said as she bolted across the yard and jumped into Tad's arms.

"Oh…Oh thank God. Oh sweetheart. Never ever do this to your dad again you hear me! Never again! Oh I'm just so glad you're okay, oh sweetheart."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the father and daughter embraced.

"Oh thank God, she's okay." Di said crying tears of relief.

"I know sweetheart, your hunch really paid off now didn't it."

"It really did, didn't it." Derek said.

"What's the verdict on the fire Derek?" Aidan asked.

"Well the fire was caused by arson, but according to the fireman there was a complex tunnel system in the basement that could be used as an escape route if necessary."

"So, we're concluding" Aidan cut in "Kate was probably kidnapped by these casino thieves for revenge against Tad arresting their head honcho."

"Guess so, we're not really sure how the arson was tied in." Derek said.

"But we got Kate back and that's all that matters." Di said.

"Daddy I'm so sorry."

"No, no shh. Sweetie its okay, it's alright. We're gonna go back home now and everything will be fine okay. I promise. Actually right after I ground you for life everything will be just fine."

Tad said as he gave Kate another hug.

"No Daddy we can't go home yet."

"Why not baby? Huh? Don't you want to see your brothers and your grandparents?"

"Yes Daddy I do, but Miss Misty is..."

"What Kate, what about Misty?" Del panicked.

"She was in there with me, she could still be in the house, Daddy we have to go back and find her!"

"Look sweetheart, I just talked to the fireman and he said that there was nobody in that entire house, am I right sir?"

"Yes, young lady we checked that entire house top to bottom, anyone who is in there must have escaped through the tunnels."

"Kate look, it's getting late, we've all had a really long day. I think it's time for me and you and everyone else to go home. Okay? Is that okay with you?" Tad asked as he playfully tickled Kate on the chin and carried her back to the car.

"Del. Hey c'mon. It's time to go."

"No, I...I can't. Not yet."

"What's wrong? Aidan and everybody are already at the car."

"Look Di. Kate told me Misty was in that house with her."

"Del, I just talked with the fireman. There is no way Misty is in that house. Now c'mon. We've gotta go."

"No! Look I'm gonna stick around okay! Either Misty is still trapped or she escaped, but she's not anyplace in PV. She's here! I haven't heard from her since Kate disappeared, and you said it yourself, those thieves ringleader was none other then Kevin Sturgess who has had it out for Misty forever. Now I'm not leaving here until I know she's safe!"

"Del, I.."

"No, Don't Del me! Misty is my friend, I thought she was yours too, but I guess I was mistaken." Del said angrily as he started back to the house.

"Del!" Di cried out.

"I'll be careful, I promise. Tell Kate I'll see her soon."

Then Del said goodbye, gave his sister a hug and walked over to the burnt out mansion.

The Next Day

"Misty, Misty c'mon. I know you're here. Kate was right! I just know it! I found your wallet. I found your school I.D. You were trapped here Misty, I'm positive! If you can hear me yell or something, please! I gotta find you!"

As Del wandered around he noticed a fallen board that looked like a door, covering the entrance to what looked like a cave or tunnel. As he pried the board away he walked into the cave and instantly tripped over an obstacle.

"No it couldn't, Oh my God!"

Del said to himself as he frantically began lifting chunks of drywall and a large board off the unconscious person at his feet.

As he knelt down and brushed the soot off of Misty's face, Del was relieved to find a very faint pulse, and instantly called an ambulance as he carried Misty out of the smoky tunnel to fresh air, hoping and praying help would come soon.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Scarsdale Hospital

"Well here ya are man, a bouquet of roses. I'm assuming they're for someone special."

"Yes sir they are. Have a nice day."

Del said with a smile as he walked out of the hospital gift shop with his huge bundle of roses. He hoped his pricey gift would be allowed in Misty's room. It had been two days since he brought her to the hospital after finding her in the collapsed tunnel, and it had been a rough two days. After undergoing quite a few operations he was worried she wouldn't make it, but yesterday she had finally been stabilized and was taken out of the ICU.

"Hey son, ya mind watching where you're walking?" Del's thoughts were interrupted by a janitor he accidentally collided with.

"Sorry I didn't see..."

"Yeah I guess I wouldn't see either with all those flowers. Hey, are they for that woman across the hall?"

The old man asked as he gestured to Misty's room.

"Yes they are."

"Well son let me say you are one thoughtful guy. I wouldn't go and buy a bouquet that big for any of my relatives. No sireee."

"Oh no these aren't for family."

"Are you sure they're for that lady in 218?" The janitor asked curiously as he looked in on Misty and smiled kindly, recognizing her like she was an old friend.

"Yeah I'm positive."

"Well I'm positive she's related to you. I don't forget a face. Names, not so great at anymore. But I recognize you for sure. And unless I miss my guess, that woman, who looked much better as a blonde by the way, is none other than your sister."

"Now wait a second!" Del said defensively.

"How would you, know anything about me, or my family. You must be mistaken or insane. We don't even live here. Now if you'll excuse me.."

"No. No you live in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania."

"Now how the hell do you know that?"

"I lived there myself a few years back. Yes, old Pine Valley. Lotta good memories there, I only moved here a few years ago as a matter of fact. I need to pick up and go quite a bit, I've always loved to travel, see everything I can while I have the eyes to do it."

"Listen buddy, that's swell alright. But I...I only have one sister. You understand? And she's at home. Now I'm just gonna go..."

Del said as he tried to back away from the old man, obviously on the brink of becoming senile.

"Well I never spoke with this sister, but I'd know her face."

"Okay. Listen, what's my name? If you're such an expert on my sisters you must know about me then, right?"

Del challenged.

"No, sorry son. I can't recall your name. I...I only know about this woman because she was a patient at PVH, this hospital where I cleaned."

"Wait. When was she a patient?"

"Oh it was quite some time ago, a few years maybe. But, I remember the day like it was yesterday. I saw her when she was admitted. She looked so young and beautiful, like she had so much more life she wanted to live. I knew she had a family, and I could tell she was beloved by them. I remembered seeing her get taken into the room, and shortly after, this man obviously very distressed that she was being hospitalized, kept on trying to enter her room. The nurse and doctor and even you and your family members kept on trying to keep the man out. I felt so sorry for you folks, you all looked like you had the wind knocked out of you. Around this time I went on my break. I didn't come back to the hospital for a few hours until I had to work the night shift. I was cleaning the floor that she was on, there was really nobody around except for me, but then I saw a different man walk into her room. He looked very suspicious and looked like he could take me out if he needed to, so I went and hid behind my janitor's cart. When I looked up, nobody was around, but I saw the man in the shadows carrying her outside."

"Okay. Wow uh, look okay. This has gotta be one big freaky coincidence, or. Look I don't have time for this!"

Del yelled with panic in his voice as he backed away from the old man.

"Look that woman, in there. Her name is Misty and she's, she's my. Look I saved her life alright! Now, just get, get away from me. I never want to see you again!"

"But I..."

"NO!"

Del yelled as he bolted away from the janitor and turned the corner into Misty's room with the flowers.

"Hey Del..." Misty said weakly as she opened her eyes.

"Dix…Is that." Del said barely above a whisper as he looked at the bed and saw his sister's face.

"Del?" Misty said with confusion

"Huh? What. I?" Del said as he rubbed his eyes to clear his vision.

"Del! Did ya hear me?" Misty said, snapping Del back into reality.

"Are those for me?" Misty asked sweetly as she noticed the flowers.

"Wha..Oh yeah here Mist. Yeah they're for you. Hope ya like roses!"

Del said as he handed her the flowers.

"Oh I love 'em. Thank you. They're beautiful." Misty said as she fell back on the pillow.

"So, are ya feeling any better?"

"I feel, well sleepy, a little dazed."

"Well that's, to be expected. Do you remember what happened to you?" Del asked with concern.

"Not really, but judging from your expression I have a feeling its better that I don't." Misty joked.

"Well. When I found ya you were trapped in the tunnels at the mansion underneath all this rubble and stuff."

"You, you saved my life!" Misty said with tears in her eyes.

"Well kind of."

"Actually it's, it's starting to come back to me. Oh my God!"

"What, what is...?"

"Kate! Oh my God please tell me she got out!"

Misty said frantically, spiking her vitals.

"Relax, relax." Del said soothingly. "I can't have you getting crazed on me now. Kate, Kate is fine. She's home in Pine Valley. She's safe. She actually was the one who told me you were in that deathtrap."

"Oh thank God she's alright." Misty said with relief.

"I don't know what it is about that girl, but ever since I met her she's almost like, the daughter I never had. I'm crazy about her."

"Yeah well, with Kate, it's impossible not to love that little kid. She's just got the biggest heart in the world."...just like her mom. Del thought to himself.

"Del?"

"Yeah. What?"

"Gosh what is going on in that head of yours? I asked, when we can go back home!"

"Well I..."

"Del I hate hospitals. I'm working as hard as I can to get better and get outta here. I need to get back to my job, to Pine Valley."

"Well, I have a feeling you won't be outta here for at least a few more days. And even then, I'm not taking you back to PV right away. We're gonna stay here until you're one hundred percent back to normal."

"Well Del, that's sweet, but what about your family. What about that wedding you invited me to? What about your life?" Misty said sleepily

"Listen, we'll worry about my life when I'm sure yours is in good shape. Be patient Misty."

Del said as Misty started to fall back asleep.

"We'll figure this all out soon enough."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Scarsdale Hospital

2 Days Later

"Hey you! How's the most awesome patient in this entire hospital?"

"Just fine, actually I'm so fine that soon you'll have to refer to me as the most awesome former patient, in this entire hospital! See, I'm out of that hideous sheet of paper that people actually consider a garment around here and everything!"

"Hey I actually liked you in that paper dress. I don't know if I can talk to you when you aren't wearing it." Del said as he turned around on Misty's bed so he faced the wall.

"Oh stop that." Misty laughed as Del turned around.

"Hey so where did you disappear to? You said you'd be back before I finished my jello. Where'd ya go?"

Misty asked curiously.

"Oh no place, I just drove around a bit. I just wanted to check out the scenery around here that's all."

"Hmm, were you trying to figure out the quickest route back to PV?"

"Well. I." Del mumbled

"I thought you were gonna ask for directions. If you don't remember the way home you can call your sister."

"No."

"What's with men and their inability to ask for directions? You too proud or something? Okay I'll call and ask Di."

"No! Don't, don't do that. "

"Del? What's wrong? You know it's like every time I mention going home you totally tune me out or bite my head off. What, you like the hospital so much you don't want to go home!"

Misty laughed, but noticed Del was still upset.

"Del? Why don't you want to go home? I..."

"Hang on." Del interrupted. "I'll be right back, I'm just gonna go and do some research on a place we can stay. Just a sec."

Del said as he walked out of the room quickly.

"Geez what's wrong with him." Misty said as she got back under the blanket. Suddenly she heard a beep come from the foot of her bed.

"Oh, he ran out of here so fast he left his phone. Honestly Del, what's with all the voicemails?"

"Del, it's me, your sister. C'mon why can't you pick up the phone! Just tell me where you are! This is just rude Del. I mean you've been in Scarsdale for almost a week now and not one message from you! Listen, Tad has been asking me over and over if you and Misty are coming to his wedding. Kate's been asking for you and Misty too, non stop. God why can't you just call home and let us know you're still alive! C'mon Del please!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Del I..."

"Hey I know I saved your life, but I didn't think it gave you exclusive rights to my voicemail! Geez Misty."

"Del, I'm sorry. It won't happen again!"

"Thank you."

"But do I have permission to ask why you've been so edgy lately? The past few days you've been all jittery."

"I don't know." Del mumbled

"Okay answer me this? Why the total freeze out of your family all of a sudden? I mean you and Di are practically adjoined at the hip and you don't respond to three voicemails from her?"

"Gee, I didn't know we were playing twenty questions here." Del said sarcastically.

"Well I still have eighteen left so start answering. That wedding that you were invited to, that I went out and bought a new dress for so I could be your date, and also the wedding where I could finally be introduced to the father of one of my favorite students. You were so psyched up about inviting me so you could show me off as your date, and I wanted to go so I could actually get to know some people! Why is the wedding taboo to talk about all of a sudden? Why don't you care about your family anymore, Del? Why don't you want to go home?"

Misty asked with concern and increasing frustration at her friend.

"Misty, I haven't been focusing on PV because I've been focusing on you, on us! I thought that you and I could find a place around here, more permanent than just a hotel room. It's a nice town Mist; we could both just pick up and start over! We could have a real relationship. What do you say?"

"What do I say?" Misty said with shock, appalled that this was coming from the normally goofy laid back guy standing in front of her.

"Del, I've done more picking up and starting over than I can remember. I was finally getting adjusted to Pine Valley, I was finally making friends, I got to know Di, Aidan,. I was even gonna move into Myrtle's boarding house and get to know more people that way.

I had a job, Del. I have my dream job that I've finally gotten a handle on. I have a class that I adore. I have Kate to worry about too! Your niece who is turning into a daughter I never had! Remember her? Del, I don't want to just pack up to a new town and start fresh. I'm not ready for that type of commitment. I..."

"No! Stop, you made your point Misty, loud and clear."

"Del, that's not what I...I didn't mean. I just don't want to pick up and start fresh, let's go back to Pine Valley alright, we can just as easily have a relationship, to some degree, there!"

"No!"

"Okay Del I'm trying to reason with you but you're just being stubborn here, why can't we go home!"

"Because Misty, I want a fresh start! All right! I need to get out of there. It's just got too much stuff I don't want to dwell on anymore...Look I just want to go away and I want you to come with me! Is that too much to ask!"

"Yes! Yes Del it is too much to ask alright! You can't just pick up and run off and expect me to follow you wherever you end up! It's selfish Del."

"Oh great so now I'm being selfish. God, why did I ever think that we could have any type of commitment?"

"CCommitment! Del!" Misty said taken aback, offending her friend.

"Oh okay, so the idea of me and you having anything more then a platonic relationship terrifies you to no end. Good, good to know." Del said bitterly as he started to walk out the door.

"Del don't. I..." Misty said as her heart monitor started beeping faster.

"No Misty, I get it. Obviously saving your life has no benefits for me, you get to meddle and criticize my life and my choices, but I'm not allowed to be involved in yours at all, romantically or otherwise. Oh I totally get it now Misty, thanks for clearing it up for me." Del said with unmistakenable hurt and anger in his voice as he walked out the door in a huff.

"Del, wait. I..."

Misty tried to get her friends attention but could barely get the words out as she suddenly felt dizzy and short of breath, her blood pounding in her ears.

"Doctor! Doctor we need the cardiac unit in here stat! Her heart rate is through the roof! Misty can you hear me..."

Misty tried to respond to the doctors but as she struggled to open her eyes she was blinded by a warm, white light and felt herself slipping away towards it.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Wow. I can't, I can't believe I'm..."

"In heaven? I have to say I can't believe it either!"

Misty turned around to see where the voice came from and saw none other than her best friend.

"Ian! Oh I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too Blue Eyes."

"So this is it, the pearly gates. You know it's funny, but I feel like I've been here before."

"Well, it's possible; I'm guessing it wasn't your time to go then, just like it isn't your time now."

Ian said to his friend. He realized they were in limbo together. Dixie still had a chance to make it back and live her life.

"Excuse me?"

"It's not your time yet, girlfriend. You gotta turn around."

"What? But I'm already here!"

"Look, it's not your time. I know it for a fact. You still have a whole lot more to do, a lot more life for you to live."

"As Misty? I can't live like that anymore. I don't want to get down there just to run off and marry Del. It's not my life!" Misty said, but was shocked by her candidness.

"I can't believe I just said that!"

"Hey you were just being honest."

"No kidding!"

"Oh did I forget to mention that? Up here honesty is the only policy. Only your real true self comes through those gates."

"So wait, I'm..?"

"Honestly girl, you can't tell me you didn't figure yourself out yet."

"Hey I just got up here a second ago!"

"No, I mean out there."

Ian said as he finally saw the small window, which instead of showing a life, a house, family, friends, the life Dixie was supposed to have, was filled with mist and clouds.

"Holy cow! You seriously never figured it out, you had no idea who you really were. I only made it my dying wish!" Ian said as he glanced out the passage, realizing why he was stuck down here, he had to fix this.

"Well I'm sorry I didn't get the message. I was too busy trying to escape that mansion in one piece."

Misty said reflecting on her last few minutes with Ian at the mansion, as her friend looked lost in his thoughts. Despite this Misty continued on.

"As much as I knew how worthless life would be without your presence each day Mr. Welles, I wasn't planning on coming to join you for at least a few more years, and I especially didn't wanna take the same route as you. I'm not that big on being shot with poisonous darts, if you know what I mean."

"Hey it wasn't actually a bad way to go, very quick."

Ian said with a smile to Misty, all the while knowing he still had a job to do and not a lot of time. He had to get Misty to remember who she really was.

"Ya know, you haven't changed a bit sweetheart, not a tad."

Ian waited to see if his compliment would trigger his friend's memory, but all he got was a smile and blue eyes full of confusion. The small window that gave him a glimpse of Dixie's life was still full of mist. He knew it was time to pull out the big guns.

"Hey, I hope that Kate has the good sense to take after her mom, I'll keep an eye out for her though."

Ian said as he saw the clouds slightly starting to fade in the window.

"A daughter? Kate, Kate is my daughter!"

"Exactly, see you still have some life to live out. There is more down there waiting for you than a life with Del, your brother!"

At this the clouds faded all the more. Ian knew he was getting close. It was time to send his friend home.

"You have a family that loves you, Go on now Dixie Cooney. Turn around!"

At this the window showed an unconscious Dixie in the hospital bed in Scarsdale. Ian had done it.

"Ian I..."

"No, there's no time. I don't want to see you here for a good long time. Go back to your family right now and live your life to the fullest Dixie, you deserve it."

Suddenly with a flash of light, Ian found himself back in heaven, and saw his friend stir as she woke up back where she belonged. Then he knew he had successfully done his job.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter. 20

Scarsdale Hospital

".Thank you Ian.."

Dixie said with barely a whisper as she struggled to open her eyes.

"Misty! Oh my God. You're, you're alive! You came out of it! You're here!"

Del said with astonishment as tears streamed down his cheeks. He got the phone call not ten minutes after he got to his car that Misty had taken a significant turn for the worse, and he was grateful she had fought back.

"Why. Why are you calling me Misty?"

Dixie asked the strangely familiar man standing a foot in front of her. She was about to ask his name but suddenly remembered the vivid dream she just had, the man in her dream had mentioned a man in the hospital named Del, he was her brother.

"Because that's, that's your name!" Del said with confusion.

"No, 'cause, But I. in my dream... it said that my name was, Dixie. That man, Ian..."

Dixie said weakly as she tried to explain the situation, but all she received was confused looks from Del.

"Doc what, what's going on? Why is she so out of it? She doesn't even remember her name! Is she alright?" Del panicked.

"Now Del just calm down. Misty just went through a major trauma and suffered a dangerous relapse due to stress. She nearly died. But right now her current condition is due to the effects of all her meds, not to mention that she is totally exhausted."

"Oh that, that makes sense."

"To be perfectly honest, I was as surprised as you when her heart monitor began beeping again and she came back. She is quite a fighter."

"Yeah she sure is."

"I mean besides being critically injured, Misty also had quite a few preexisting conditions."

"Oh I see." Del tried to speak but the old doctor paid little attention to him and continued using medical terminology which Del could barely comprehend. He was just about to walk away when he heard the doctor say something he was familiar with.

"Also, going through all that treatment with a heart condition has really taken a toll on Misty."

"Misty has a heart condition? I had no idea!"

"Yes, it's a rare genetic disorder which Misty contacted probably later in life, its called pericardia."

"Pericardia, that name sounds so..." Del trailed off, he couldn't help but find that name familiar to him. Then he remembered why.

"Oh my God. No. No it couldn't be." Del muttered under his breath

"And Del that disorder combined with Misty's injuries made it very possible she wouldn't have made it. Not to mention her only having one kidney."

"Wait what! Misty has only one, no, no that's impossible."

"Oh it's possible my friend. Del are you alright, you look awfully pale."

"No Doc I'm just..." Del said as he walked back into Misty's room.

"DDix?" Del said quietly.

"Del..." Dixie said as she tried to open her eyes.

"Oh my..."

Del said with a panic in his voice. It couldn't be true, he thought to himself. It just couldn't be. Dixie was dead; Del was at PVH when it happened. He went to her funeral. Unless the janitor was, no, no he was just a crazy old man, he doesn't know what he's talking about.

Del just had so many thoughts racing through his head. Too many to deal with at the moment.

"Excuse me Doc!"

Del said as he bolted out of the hospital and off to his car. He had to get out, out of the room, out of the hospital. He had to be anywhere but there.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Scarsdale Hospital

1 Day Later

"Excuse me, nurse? I was just wondering. Is there a phone around here that I can use, just for a second? I have to make a call."

"Well, I have to ask permission first. I'll be right back." said the nurse named Mimi.

"Thanks so much."

Dixie said as Mimi left the room. It had been a day since she had woken up and she was still totally confused about who she was. She did not for the life of her recognize the name Misty. That name, that life, seemed totally foreign to her.

But the one thing that had registered in her cloudy train of thought as real, the one experience that essentially forced her to turn around and live, was the vivid memory of a man telling her who she really was. But nobody even considered that possibility to be true, that her name was Dixie. Here her revelation about her true identity was considered to be a side effect of medication, nothing more. But what she feared the most was that it was all a fantasy. That she was this Misty person like everyone said.

"Miss, they couldn't spare the phone.."

"Oh okay, thank you Mimi."

"Um, miss I was just wondering. Is, is everything all right?"

"Well you're the nurse; shouldn't you be telling me that?" Dixie said jokingly.

"No I don't mean it like that. Health wise, you're making tons of improvement. It's just you look pretty down compared to a few days ago when I checked on you. No offense though, I just wanted to see..."

"No, no none taken, it's just the environment, you know. I mean how many days can a person be in good spirits when they're stuck in a hospital bed."

"No I see what you mean. Cabin fever, I get it."

"Yeah well..."

"Your sudden change in demeanor wouldn't have anything to do with a certain guy not showing up as often as usual would it?"

"Well..." Dixie said glumly. As far as she knew Del was the only member of her family she actually made contact with. She hadn't seen him since he bolted from her room yesterday and hadn't been able to get in touch with him yet.

"I knew it. Wait here!"

"Mimi? Mimi what are you..?"

"I got it!" Mimi said with excitement as she ran over with a slip of paper and pulled a phone out of her pocket.

"What in the..."

"When your friend brought you in he was totally worried sick about you, so I went over to ask if he needed anything. We got to talking and before I knew it I asked for his number!"

"Oh my God Mimi you're a life saver. Oh and don't worry about me if you wanna go after him."

"But I thought..."

"No don't worry; Del is well, like a brother to me. Nothing more. If you're interested in him go for it."

"Oh good to know! Thanks! Go ahead and call whoever."

"Thanks again Mimi."

Dixie said as she anxiously dialed the number, practically on the verge of tears. This call would lead her to her fate; it would either prove her to be sane or nothing more than an incoherent woman too drugged up to think straight.

"Hello? Oh my God. Misty?"

"DDel? Oh thank God. Look I have to ask you something, it's really important alright. I'm, I'm not doing too great right now. Physically I'm, I'm fine. But my head's a mess right now. I mean I had, I had this dream, but it seemed almost too real to be a dream. And in that dream, out of body experience, whatever you want to call it, it told me I was someone else. Not, not Misty..."

"Oh my..."

"Del, I have to know. Did you have another sibling besides Di, another sister?"

Dixie said tears streaming down her face as she waited for Del's response.

"Del? Are, are you still there?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm, I'm here."

"Well?"

"Yes I, I did."

Del couldn't believe what he was hearing. Del had never even mentioned Dixie to Misty at all. But it would explain some things, how he felt a connection to Misty since the first time he saw her at the park, but nothing really romantic. How they acted around each other like siblings more so than anything else.

"Del? In my dream I also remember that the man told me I have a family. He said you; you were my brother and that, that I had a little girl? A daughter?"

"Oh my God. Kate!" Del said in shock. He remembered how Misty felt an instant connection to his niece, and how Kate felt the same way about Misty. They even looked alike with the same type of eyes. But he knew this was all crazy, he couldn't imagine it. He couldn't accept it that easily just based on how he and Kate felt about Misty. He couldn't determine this based on a dream she had. He had to get some real evidence here.

"Okay, look I need you to check, your chart at the hospital. You have a heart condition right, and just one kidney?"

"Yes! Yes Del I do." Dixie said in tears.

"Del? Was your sister named...? Dixie?"

On the other end of the phone all Dixie heard was sobbing. She knew at that minute she was right. She wasn't crazy or having freaky med side effects.

'Del? Are you still there?" Dixie asked still sobbing.

"YYeah sis. Dixie. I'm right here. I can't believe its you. That crazy old man was telling the truth!"

"What?"

'No, no never mind. God Dix, I'm so, so sorry for running off like that on you at the hospital, I was just,

I don't know too scared. I thought I saw you, but I just chalked it all up to a lack of sleep and took off. I guess I should've stuck with my gut after all!"

Del said laughing and crying at the exact same time.

"Dixie? Do you remember anything about what happened to you? Do you remember any of your relatives at all? Anything about your life besides me and Kate? Dixie? Are you there?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm here."

"Well?"

"Oh God Del, I'm just so, I have no idea, I can't remember a thing."

Dixie choked out. "I'm so sorry..."

"No, no don't apologize. No. Now look I'm halfway to the hospital already, I'm gonna make sure you're okay, get you out, and then we are driving to Pine Valley. We're going home Dixie. We're gonna get your memory back and we'll go on home where you..."

On the other end Dixie's heart stopped as she heard a loud scream, tires screeching, glass shatter and then nothing but static.

"Where I what? Del! Del are you still there. Del!"

Dixie yelled into the phone, when suddenly a nurse rushed in.

"Miss? Miss just calm down now. Just relax."

The nurse said as she gave Dixie a sedative.

"Nurse what happened?"

"Oh Doctor, I just came in to check on the patient and her vitals were spiked. I gave her a sedative that seemed to do the trick."

"Well, they seem normal now. What set her off?"

"I think it was the call she received. Something must have happened, something major."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Hospital

3 Days Later

"Wha...what happened?"

Dixie said as she woke up after yet another relapse. She checked the calendar on the wall and realized she'd been out for the past three days. She tried to remember what had happened, why she had collapsed when she saw a phone on the table next to her bed.

"Oh my God, the phone call. Del!" Dixie cried out getting the nurse's attention.

"Doctor, she's awake. Yes it's her."

As the nurse got the doctor's attention, and gave Dixie a glance full of pity, Dixie felt the tension increase in the room. She knew this couldn't mean good news.

Just then the doctor came in and sat down next to Dixie's bed.

"Hello Misty. Feeling better I see."

"Yes, Doctor, I have a quick question, you've met my brot...I mean my friend Del before, haven't ya?"

"Yes, Misty I have." The doctor said solemnly

"Well, right before I collapsed, I, I was talking with him on the phone and the line went dead. I was wondering if he had tried to get in touch with me again, if everything was alright. Everything is alright... Doctor, isn't it?"

Dixie said trying to hide the worry in her voice.

"Misty I..."

"Listen Doctor, please, don't hold out on me here. I have to know what's going on. I can take it. I just gotta know the truth."

"Well, it happened like this Misty. You see, shortly after you were sedated, we had to get in contact with Mr. Henry.

However before we even made a phone call, one of our nurses, Mimi, was off duty and witnessed a car accident at the bridge by the river. It was raining heavily and the car had skidded off the road into a guard rail. The driver was thrown, from the car into the river below.

We sent out the police, the paramedics, everyone capable to check the river but the driver was no where to be found, and most likely was caught in the undertow. We couldn't recover a body but we did find this, in the car."

The doctor then pulled out a cell phone along with a tattered wallet and handed them to Dixie.

"No!" Dixie said in shock and turned white as a sheet as she saw Del's driver's license in the wallet.

"Oh my God, no!" Dixie said as she broke down sobbing in the doctor's arms.

"It's my, it's all my fault! I...I was the one talking to him. I distracted him. I caused this...Oh my God!"

"Shh. it's alright. It's not your fault. You can't do this to yourself Misty. You can't get all worked up and compromise your health."

After about ten minutes Dixie was all out of tears and regained her composure. Then she found out from the doctor that a memorial service was already held for Del by his family two days ago. Shortly after the doctor told Dixie the news she'd been waiting to hear for almost two weeks. She had made a full recovery while being sedated and was healthy enough to go home.

"Now Misty, since you don't have any outside family, the hospital will provide transportation for you to return home. All we need is a location and you are free to go."

"I...I need to go to Pine Valley, Pennsylvania. I have some things I am anxious to figure out."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

PV

"Well, here ya are Miss. Pine Valley, Pennsylvania."

"Oh wow, speedy driving there. Thank, thanks so much."

Dixie said she got out of the cab.

As the driver headed off, Dixie checked her watch and realized it was about 3:00.

"Okay first step here, find a place to crash." Dixie said to herself as she saw a building down the street.

"Hmm, Valley Inn, seems like a nice place."

As she headed over in the direction of the hotel, she wandered around looking for something, anything that would jog her memory. She passed by several condos, huge beautiful mansions, quite a few office buildings, and some fast food joints. But nothing seemed to do the trick. Soon afterward Dixie cut through a rather large park and reached a cemetery. There she saw a small bench in front of a marker with several flowers near it. There she saw a name she recognized. The name of the only relative she knew, the one who was going to get her through this, who was set on making sure she got her life back.

"Oh my, Del." Dixie said with tears streaming down her face as she sat on the bench and read the inscription on the marker.

"God Del, I'm so sorry." Dixie said as she picked a daisy from a garden of flowers near the grave, and placed it by the memorial.

With that Dixie knew she had to get back to the Valley Inn. It was getting late and she was too tired to remember a thing tonight.

Just as she stood up she heard a noise coming from the bushes nearby, and was about to run off when she realized it was just some kids playing. She got up and from her spot behind the bush saw two young girls playing with some dolls.

"Hey Emma, I think we should get on back home. It's getting late."

"But, but we weren't finished yet! We were just about to have Ariel be rescued by Prince Charming!"

"But my daddy said that I wasn't supposed to be out this late anymore, after what happened last time."

"But, but I thought your daddy wasn't home tonight. Wasn't he over with Krystal and baby Charlotte going over wedding plans? Oh wait. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought her name up like you asked."

"Well that was my plan originally but Daddy made me apologize to her for running off and he said I have to start being nicer to her."

"Oh. Well, so our plan with Miss Misty and your dad must really be gone for good."

"Why do you say that!" Kate said angrily.

"Well nothing its just, you haven't talked about Miss Misty once since you came back, we haven't seen her in awhile, and you're accepting your daddy and Miss Krystal getting married."

"Emma I… Just because Miss Misty hasn't been here in awhile and just because I'm being nice to Krystal doesn't mean Miss Misty is gone for good! She won't end up like Uncle Del!"

Kate said with tears in her eyes, angry that she was crying again. Ever since the mean man had taken her, her life had been turned upside down. Nobody was happy anymore, especially her.

For starters after being trapped nobody came to search for Misty, even though she had always checked on Kate and made sure the mean man wouldn't hurt her. Then a nice man took her out through the tunnel and left Misty behind, but Kate figured that she had gotten freed by someone else and escaped like the fireman had said. Then Del had said he was going to find her, except he hadn't even so much as called Kate to tell her. Then after Kate came home with her dad, he said he and Krystal were officially getting married and that she was going to have to accept it. But she told her dad she wasn't happy about it yet and didn't talk to him; she wouldn't even go out for chicken fingers with him. But she waited and waited for Misty to come home, to be her teacher like before, and she never did. And then Kate found out that Uncle Del was missing and then she heard he was gone for good. She went out with Julia to buy a black dress, and after they were headed towards the park, but not the playground. When she got there Aunt Di and all the rest of her family and friends were standing by a bench. Everyone was crying and upset. Then Kate realized Uncle Del was gone forever, just like her old mommy and daddy had gone to heaven. That was two days ago. Ever since then Kate was angry and upset. She didn't even seem to have fun with Emma anymore, and she missed her dad, but couldn't get past what he was going to do in a week, when Krystal would be her step mama. She wished and prayed that everything was going to return to normal, but she knew it wouldn't. And despite Kate telling Emma that Misty wouldn't end up like Del, each day she was scared and afraid she would.

"Hey, Kate? Are you coming?" Emma asked as she turned around.

"Yeah, let's go." Kate said as they went back home.

As the girls left Dixie came out of hiding, with tears of joy streaming down her face.

"Kate! That, that little girl is my beautiful Kate!"

Dixie was about to go and follow her daughter, follow her back to her house, hoping she would be able to reunite with her family and reclaim her life. When suddenly she saw a shadow looming behind her and felt someone place a cloth over her mouth. She tried to kick scream, fight back, but it was a wasted effort as she felt herself falling into the confusing darkness.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

PV

Shed

"Wow, my head. Oh my God where the hell am I now?"

Dixie thought to herself feeling terrified, but also frustrated. She had an odd feeling of deja'vu as if this had happened to her on more then one occasion. She looked around and realized she was in a shed somewhere, tied up, with a gag on her mouth.

She noticed a few men standing around, all with walkie-talkie looking things. The taller one that was guarding her began to give her rude, suggestive glances, while the other just stood there nervously, trying to do his job but also giving her pitying glances when his pal wasn't looking. She couldn't remember anything about them, not sure what they wanted from her, why she was here, what she had done. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she somehow knew them.

Suddenly she noticed a handsome dark haired man standing over in the corner talking to someone on a cell phone. She couldn't place him, but felt a strange vibe when he looked back at her with those dark eyes and a handsome, yet evil looking smile.

"Oh my God what does he want, why is he walking over here!" Dixie thought nervously. Then the man started shaking his head at her.

"My God, I sure can pick them can't I...? I can't believe I actually thought you were a good pick. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was taking you on."

"What is he talking about?" Dixie thought to herself. "How does he know me? When on earth did I work for this creep?"

"You know, it wasn't a written rule of mine, but it's just common sense for most people in our field..."

"What field? What in God's name do you mean?"

"..That when someone makes an attempt to take your life that you lay low for awhile..."

"WHAT?"

"I mean at the very least, stay away from the town where you were tracked down once before. And, c'mon now. Caught wandering around in broad daylight of all things. What in the world was I possibly thinking?"

Kevin said as he removed Dixie's gag.

"What!" Dixie yelled out.

"Oh now you're hard of hearing too? Oh my poor ego. Can you do me a favor and at least try to remind poor confused Kevin why on earth I hired you? Please Misty!"

Kevin sarcastically said as he stared at Dixie.

"Kevin. Misty! What are you...Oh my..."

At that moment Dixie started to recall vague instances she had with this man. She remembered why being trapped here felt so familiar.

"I...I remember you now. Your name is Kevin, Kevin Sturgess. What, what do you want from me. Why am I here? My name is not Misty! That's not me, that's not who I am anymore. My name is Dixie and you, you have no right whatsoever to keep me here. In fact, I...I demand to be released, yes, I demand to be let out of here immediately; otherwise I'll press charges against you. You kidnapped me and my little girl once before. I remember exactly what you did to me Kevin."

Dixie silently hoped that what she said would have some effect on this man standing ahead of her, but all she got was a smug glance that chilled her to the bone.

"Oh you do don't you? Well let me tell you something Misty, Trixie, Ditsie, whoever you are. I don't appreciate being threatened. I don't care who the hell you are. Now if you'll excuse me for a moment. I have to have a chat with my boss. Come on men."

Kevin threatened as he tied the ropes a bit tighter, and walked out of the shed with his goons locking the door behind him.

Suddenly as the shed grew dark except for a window of light from a hole in the roof, Dixie did everything in her power to escape but couldn't move an inch.

"Oh my God. I'm not getting out of here alive!' Dixie sobbed to herself as she sank into total despair. "What am I gonna do?"

And then as if by some miracle Dixie heard a rustling noise behind her, almost like a sheet of paper, and felt an envelope at her feet.

"What the..?" Dixie whispered to herself as she read the envelope.

"Open this now but for your sake and mine don't read out loud what you're about to look at. My letter will tell you everything you need to know, everything you need to find out about your life. I'm trying to help you Dixie Cooney. I'm a friend trying to help you escape. If you understand these directions open the envelope, now."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Shed

"Oh my God. What in the..?" Dixie said to herself as she read the envelope at her feet.

"Who out there would be doing this for me? Oh well, guess I better figure it out." Dixie muttered to herself as she opened up the letter.

The following events occurred and were journaled per request of Agent 234 Kevin Sturgess

By Agent 308:

Michael "Milo" Peterson

Location-Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, U.S

Date-1-30-2007

Background:

I've been requested by Kevin to journal and record the latest heists or jobs we take. We've been aware of a vague mission in the works involving someone called the "Satin Slayer" who is targeting young women at a cosmetics company known as Fusion. However we received an anonymous tip that a major error has taken place in said mission and we were called in last night to investigate and report to a hospital in a small town known as Pine Valley.

11:00 AM

Just received word that a patient was brought in, female, early 40's, most likely was a victim of the Satin Slayer as his/her drug of choice known as Vtak, was found in the patient's system.

11:15 PM

A young woman, long blonde hair, looks very distraught, who was one of the many that accompanied the victim to PVH is about to make a phone call near my location. She is called "Babe." I've just received orders to stay put and listen in, this woman works for the company Fusion.

Conversation-

"David. C'mon pick up your phone already. Hello? Oh my God David. It's absolutely awful. It's about Dixie, She got poisoned... Wait? You already know? Who told you? David! What did you do? Okay, alright I'm listening. You, you sent a man, Jacob? With an antidote? You came up with something to counteract the Vtak! Oh my God! Wait, why can't I tell anyone? Oh. I should've guessed any ideas from that crazy head of yours wouldn't be on the level. So this will save Dixie's life. Wait? I must not have heard you correctly; I thought you said you're saving the people you care about. You're David Hayward, Evil Genius. Why do you even give a damn? Ok so you're helping Dixie but who else?"

"Babe" is now walking away from the elevator towards the entrance and a young, handsome man with dark hair just walked over to Babe, with a syringe in his hand.

"Hey Josh, Hang on a second. Dad I have to…What do you mean listen to Josh? David! David!!

Hey Josh. What are you doing? Josh! Where are you taking me? What's in that shot?"

"Hey, it's your father's orders."

"Hey what the... Who are you? Who...Who am I?"

"Why hello there."

"Hi?"

"Your name's Babe right?"

"I.I actually don't know? I think that's my name."

"Well my names Josh. Josh Madden. Would you like to go out sometime?"

"Sure I guess!"

"You like Chinese food, Babe?"

"Yeah. Where's the best place around here that serves Chinese?"

"I don't know, how about China?"

"China. We're going to China?"

"Your wish is my command. C'mon, my jets this way."

"Josh" and "Babe" just left the hospital and are apparently on their way to China.

11:20 PM

There is a man who at about 11:03 was making a frantic phone call to someone who appeared to have been his boss, nervously saying that our theory was correct. The patient brought in earlier was hit with the Vtak accidentally and unintentionally. The man making the phone call realized he needed to fix his mistake soon otherwise the mission was doomed.

However more recently, aprox 11:18 PM, I witnessed that this man has been listening to "Babe" and is making another call on his cell phone by the elevator. He looks very relieved as he has most likely been made aware of "David's" antidote being brought in by "Jacob" which would save the patient.

His exact words being-

"I have a plan Boss, we, we can fix this mistake and save the mission. Yes of course I'll call in a professional."

That professional being Kevin/his team. Even though we are at the location, as of right now we are not certain of the task at hand.

2:00

Kevin has been contacted on his cell phone by the man by the elevator to go ahead with this mission to intercept the Anti-Vtak from "David's" man "Jacob" and save the victim's life. However we have not as of yet received a plan on what to do with the patient after the procedure. Kevin says we'll play it by ear and wait for more instructions.

12:00

2 days later

The patient is still hanging on, however Jacob is AWAL, but since yesterday a new woman has just come onto the scene called "Krystal". Blonde, late 40's-early 50's. This woman looks very agitated because of a man named "J.R". He has been made aware from a woman named "Dixie" of a major secret involving "Krystal" and her unborn child, and earlier was planning on using this secret to get back at his ex wife Babe (who since last time has disappeared with Josh but the town believes her to be the victim of the Satin Slayer and has since then held a memorial for her) while destroying "Krystal's" happiness. She seems very angered and vengeful towards this man and his immediate family, and also appears to be very close with a man called "Tad"

4:00

The woman named "Krystal" has just discovered our secret, by recognizing Kevin, who I have a feeling was a little off his game.

Conversation-

"Um..Excuse me Doctor."

"Umm. Sorry ma'mm I'm rather busy at the moment."

"Oh this will only take…What in the world?"

"Um...I must be going now."

"Hold on there. What is this syringe in your hand for? You better not be the bastard that killed my baby doll otherwise I'm gonna run screaming all the way down the police station!"

"Madam I..I can assure you right now I am not a killer."

"Oh yeah we'll just see about that. Whoa! Hang on a second there. You look, familiar. What's your name? I have a feeling it's not Dr. Jones."

"Please madam."

"No wait I'd know that face anyplace. You're, oh my God. Kevin Sturgess! You were that mobster guy who was involved with Di Henry!"

"Come, come with me."

Kevin said as he took "Krystal" to a deserted hallway where he removed his mask and I.D.

"So, you know Di, you know all about me. Okay I know when I've been licked. What do you want? Do you want money? Anything, just please don't blow my cover. This is my first mission in four years and if I blow it I'm screwed for life!"

"So you aren't the Satin Slayer right?"

"God no. No whoever that bastard is who killed your daughter and those other women is one psychopath."

"Actually. He didn't kill my baby doll. I know it for a fact. We made sure she got away safely from all this mess."

"Oh well that's a relief. Now what do you want Krystal?"

"What's in the needle?"

"It's something I was hired to give. It's an antidote to whatever substance the slayer is using. It'll counteract the Vtak, but also has an ingredient that causes memory loss."

"Hmmm. I have a feeling I know who gave you that. Kevin, but the person you gotta give this to. She isn't in that room in the other hall is she?"

"Actually she is."

"Actually Kevin. I think I'll take that favor now."

"If you pretend this conversation never happened I'll give you whatever you want. Just tell me fast."

"I want you to give that woman this here antidote tonight. But I want you to not let anyone in this hospital know it worked. I want you to make this woman disappear. Convince this whole town she's six feet under. You got me?"

"Yeah I guess. But what are you gonna do if I don't."

"Oh you don't want to even go there with me Kevin. But pull this little phony funeral off, and I guarantee you'll be mob boss by the end of the year. We have a deal?"

"We have a deal."

8:05 PM

Well we just wrapped the mission and all went according to plan. We've left some guys back in PV in charge of the fake funeral arrangements according to our new boss's requirements and according to the town of Pine Valley; Dixie Cooney is the Satin Slayer's 5th victim. We even went so far as to leave a decoy agent to convince this old janitor who was spying on us, that the Satin Slayer's go to guy was responsible for saving Dixie's life, in case Kevin was recognized again. But I just heard that the old guy was getting transferred to another hospital anyways so we probably didn't even need to take that extra step, but I guess we're better safe than sorry.

The End

Dixie. I hope this transcript helped you sort through this mess you unwillingly were forced into.. But now that you understand what happened in the past you need to focus on your future. Get away from this madness and go back to your family that needs you. I'm doing all in my power to help you escape so you can live your life the way you deserve.

Your friend, Agent 308

P.S.

Also I've got a plan to help you blow this Popsicle stand so we can leave this forest behind. Calm down, be patient and I'll have you out in a second.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Shed

"Oh my..."

Dixie whispered to herself as she placed the letter back into its envelope, her head spinning after rereading it three times. But even after checking it that thoroughly she still had trouble comprehending it all. She was overwhelmed at all the stress and confusion and all the missions and broken laws all because of her. But what she couldn't grasp no matter how hard she tried was the motive behind Krystal's vendetta against her. This woman who she barely remembered was willing to make a deal with the mob, all to assure that Dixie would stay dead to the world, to her family and anyone who cared about her.

"My God. I have to get out of here. Where is that agent? I need to leave now!" Dixie thought to herself as she struggled to get free from the ropes.

Then she heard a noise and was blinded by the setting sun as the shed door opened. Then as her eyes adjusted to the light, she laid eyes on the very two people who were bent on destroying her life.

"Kevin? What is she doing here?"

Krystal said sounding surprised as she glared at Kevin.

"I...I thought you'd want to say goodbye first Boss."

"Boss! I never thought I'd see the day." Dixie said suddenly feeling amused.

"Wow, Mr. Big Scary Mob Boss actually has to answer to someone else! I mean who'd have thunk it? Your ego's taken quite a beating today Kev. What happened? Did Krystal steal your walkie-talkie? Lord knows she's got quite a reputation for that sorta thing." Dixie said smugly.

"Actually Krystal and I have a good working relationship. We both have certain reputations. to uphold."

Kevin said icily as he stepped aside and to Dixie's horror she saw someone whose life Kevin had just taken.

"Milo!" Dixie whispered as she recognized the agent at the mob boss' feet.

"You sick, pathetic..."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"So...How's life treating ya Dixie?" Krystal said with a smirk.

"Oh you, you have no right to even be standing there right now. You should be tied up, or better yet locked up. What on earth possessed you to do this? What did I do to you? You, you have no right to play God with my life Krystal."

"Oh really? And what gave you the right to play puppet master with mine? You and your little plan wasn't gonna fly Dixie, and you knew it. You were all set to trash my life all to fix your little mistakes and you expected me to sit back and take it? Well you thought wrong my friend. Carey women don't go down without a fight. Remember that the next time you try and pull something, oh wait. You won't be around to do a damn thing anymore. Now if you'll excuse me I have some wedding plans to get back to, and Kevin? Make sure she doesn't crash it." Krystal said as she walked away.

"Oh my pleasure Boss." Kevin said as he made his way over to her, syringe in hand, when to Dixie's shock he was sucker punched with a left hook.

Dixie was too stunned to speak as she watched Kevin and the mystery man sparring with the fully loaded needle in Kevin's hand aimed for the agent. Dixie closed her eyes briefly out of pure fear for the courageous man who dared to take on Kevin.

Then a split second later she heard a loud thud as one of the men collapsed to the ground.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Shed

"Oh my God!"

Dixie whispered to herself as she opened her eyes in the shed.

"Oh God, he got him... He killed Kevin Sturgess."

She said in amazement as she saw the man who'd been terrorizing her, beaten and crumpled on the ground.

"Actually I...I just kinda knocked him outta commission for a while."

Dixie turned around at the voice and her eyes filled up with tears at the man who saved her life.

"Milo!"

"At your service Blue Eyes." Milo said looking pretty shaken up.

"But you, you were outside the shed, you were dead! He caught you! How did you...?"

"Oh c'mon now, you may have changed your name, but you couldn't have forgotten all your training. How could you forget a classic like Grizzly Bear Maneuver? I played dead girlfriend!" Milo said triumphantly as he finished untying her.

"Oh Milo, I. Come here, let me show you what I do remember. The Bear Hug Maneuver." Dixie said laughing as she embraced her friend.

"Whoa, whoa. Ease up on your hug there girl." Milo said painfully as he sat in the chair.

"Milo? What. What's wrong? Did Kevin put up that much of a fight! You look really pale!"

"Actually he didn't need to do that much work." Milo winced as he gestured towards the syringe Kevin had brought lying on the floor.

"Oh no. Oh God Milo we have to get you outta here."

"No look. I just radioed some backup, they'll… they'll take care of me. I've got some time left, he didn't use all that junk in the needle. Don't…don't worry about me."

"Milo no… We have to get you taken care of! You may have been faking your death earlier but unless we get you some help you may not need to fake it! Now c'mon, I'm not gonna lose you like I lost Ian!"

"No! No it's my job to make sure you're taken care of, per Ian's request I might add. His dying wish was that I take care of you and that's what I'm gonna do.

In the meantime you have to get outta here right now Dixie. These guys could get the wrong impression if they see you here and think that that son of a, is the victim and you put him there!"

"But Milo I...I can't leave you here. You, you saved my life! You're the reason I'm not lying there like Kevin right now. You're the reason I'm still alive Milo! No...No I'm not letting another innocent man die for my sake!"

Dixie said fighting back tears.

"Look, I'm not going anyplace yet. The guys will come soon and I'll be fine. You however are leaving right now!"

"Milo I..."

"No! No buts young lady. I have a new mission for you. Go out and crash that wedding! There is a poor unsuspecting man out there who is about to marry that witch with a B, and as your fellow agent I command you to save him!"

"Milo. How? How can I thank you? I…Oh God."

Dixie was about to give her friend another hug when suddenly she heard footsteps coming up the walk and threatening voices.

"You wanna thank me, get outta this barn! Go!"

At this Dixie waved a quick goodbye to her friend and bolted out of the barn to find shelter in a nearby forest, when she tripped over a tree root.

"Oh my God. What am I..."

Dixie choked out as she began crying uncontrollably, having all the turmoil she'd experienced finally catch up with her. Over the past 48 hours she'd felt nothing but fear and confusion. Even though that letter of Milo's had helped her figure out her enemies, she still couldn't recall any of the people who were her family and friends.

She still was clueless about her life except that she had a daughter. All the emotion she felt finally took its toll as she was totally exhausted. She glanced at her watch and realized it was 10:00. Besides that she was freezing cold.

"Okay Dixie. Get a grip now."

She said to herself as she stood up.

"First things first. Get out of the woods. You gotta find someplace to go. You didn't get your life back to die of hypothermia."

At that she looked off and saw what looked like a small motel. A large sign identified it as The Pinecone.

"Okay, it's no palace but it's a start."

She thought as she made her way over to the motel. Then she noticed a single star come out in the clear night sky.

"Hmm. If that isn't a sign I don't know what is. I could use all the luck I could get." Dixie thought feeling almost hopeful again.

"Star light, Star bright, First star I see tonight. I wish I may. I wish I might. Have the wish I wish tonight."

"I wish that I can see my beautiful little girl again, That I can find Kate, the one bright spot in all this darkness. I wish I can get to know my daughter and that she can get to know me. I want to remember everything again; I wish that I can get my life back."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Wildwind

"Kate! I can't believe you weren't on the camping trip with me! Daddy was trying to set up the tent and it blew away! So him and Mommy and I, we all had to sleep in this pick up truck and...Hey, are you listening to me?"

Emma asked her friend with concern and frustration. Even since Kate had come home after she disappeared, nothing had been the same. They used to be so close and now all Kate did was make her sad. She didn't even know if her friend was even paying attention to her when she talked.

"Kate?"

"What? Oh sorry Emma I was just, thinking."

"About what? All you ever do anymore is think. I miss you Kate! We're best friends remember?"

"Of course I remember!" Kate said harshly but then caught herself and apologized. She knew she couldn't afford to get Emma upset at her. She needed her now more than ever.

"Of course I know we're friends. You have half my dolls in your room! We can't afford to not be best friends!"

"Well okay. So tell me why you've been so upset."

"It's a whole lotta stuff. I miss my old life Emma. I miss not seeing Daddy all the time. Every day Krystal comes over and he spends all day with Charlotte. We haven't watched cartoons or eaten cereal with candy in months. Krystal says its not good eating all that junk first thing in the morning. So now she makes pancakes 'cause she used to make them for Miss Babe. But I don't like pancakes! And neither does Daddy. She's messing everything up."

"Well whatever happened to your plan to find Misty again? You said that she wasn't gonna end up like your Uncle Del."

After hearing that Kate felt herself start getting teary eyed. She knew deep down that she wasn't going to see Del or Misty again and it made her sad when they were mentioned.

"I...I don't have that plan anymore Emma. It's not gonna work. But I...I have a new plan. You wanna hear it?"

"Yeah! What are ya gonna do?"

"I'm gonna leave for a little while, and I..I want you to come with me."

"For how long?"

"For…awhile. But think about it Emma we can go out and find someplace new to live. We don't have to stay at Wildwind if we don't want to!"

"So you're saying we should, run away?"

"Yeah! C'mon I'll go pack our stuff and..."

"No! No Kate I..I can't. I know we're, we're best friends and I'll miss you like crazy if you go, but...I can't run away with you. I can't leave Ryan and my mommy behind. I'm happy here Kate! I don't wanna just run off and find someplace else to live! And what about your daddy, what about Aunt Di and all your family?"

"What family!" Kate said bitterly.

"I...I don't have a family. I have a new insta-family that I didn't want in the first place. I don't want them and they won't miss me. All 'cause I'm not a Carey. I'm not Krystal's little girl. I'm some other lady's daughter and nobody even talks about her anymore, nobody misses my real mom. Why should they care about me? Are you real sure you don't want to come? C'mon Emma! Please?" Kate begged.

"Kate. I can't leave." Emma said as she got angry and sad at the same time.

"Fine. I've gotta get my stuff. I'm leaving tonight, with you or without you. Bye Emma."

Kate said sadly as she ran to the back entrance of Wildwind. Then she stopped and looked into the living room. She saw Krystal talking to Tad on the phone holding Charlotte and laughing.

"This is all your fault Krystal. Well you win now. You can have the family ya always wanted. It just won't be with me."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

PV Detective Agency

"Knock knock? Can I come in?"

"Oh hey Krystal. Yeah I'm almost finished here, just give me a sec."

Tad said as he walked off into the next room to get some papers.

"Aidan! Hey what's going on?"

"Oh…Hi Krystal. Not much. I've just been a bit stressed is all."

"Oh, how come?"

"You mean Tad hasn't told ya the fantastic news about Di and me? We're having a baby!"

"Oh Aidan that's fantastic! Oh I'm so happy for you. I can't believe Di didn't mention it to me."

"Well she just found out about a week or so ago. Plus with all the wedding plans and so forth, you've gotta be a bit stressed."

"Yeah well. I just got rid of a huge obstacle so hopefully we'll have smooth sailing from here on."

"Well congrats. I'll see ya around all right."

"Okay, later Aidan, and tell Di congratulations for me."

"Will do." Aidan said as he walked out the door letting out a sigh of relief. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't warm up to Krystal after all the stuff she had pulled. Sometimes he even wished Tad felt the same way.

"Hey sweetheart. Sorry about that. So why'd ya want to meet me at the office? I was all set to head back to the house."

"Actually Tad, I needed to kinda get something off my chest and here seemed like an okay place."

"What's wrong?"

"Well, it's about the wedding. I think we have to get something straight. When we started planning this we wanted something comfortable and simple. Remember?"

"Well yeah! I mean we're having it outside Wildwind with just the select few we considered worthy enough. You know. Just those who we were sure we can get the most loot from. I checked the list myself and have to say I approve entirely." Tad joked.

"C'mon Tad."

"Hey, I just checked to assure we wouldn't have an excess of tiny forks and just enough salad spinners."

"Tad can you be serious for just a second?"

"Okay. Easy. What's the matter?"

"I don't think that we should have the wedding in Pine Valley. I...I want to elope."

"But Krystal... come on! I mean we've been planning this for months now and that all goes out the window? Is it the location? Do you want someplace more exotic? 'Cause I honestly don't see what other issues you have. I mean you basically planned the whole shindig, from the guest list to flower arrangements to how many Jordan almonds everyone gets. Why the sudden change of plans?"

"I just. I can't deal with a big happy family wedding right now."

"How come? Oh God, its Babe isn't it. I'm such a dope, I'm sorry sweetheart."

"No Tad. It's not my guests I'm worried about here..."

"Well I…Wait what's wrong with mine? I know we're a bit dysfunctional but c'mon now. I mean Mom and Pop are crazy about you and Ma is being so nice to you its scary, not to mention borderline nauseating. And you're fine with Fish & Chips and Di, and I know you and Kate got off to a rocky start but you guys are doing better now. What do I not know here?"

"Oh gosh Tad, are you that blind? Do you notice what happens to this office every time I enter the room? How every time we go out to dinner with your family I get weird vibes?"

"What in God's name are you talking about? I never thought you'd be this paranoid. You of all people."

"I'm not being paranoid Tad! I'm being realistic! Nobody in this messed up town is happy about this wedding! It's finally sunk through their heads that I'm not a perfect saint for atop their pedestals."

"What pedestal! Krystal, my family is not trying to make you someone you're not!"

"No but they sure as hell wish that you were gonna be walking down that aisle with someone else."

"Oh my God. Look Krystal. I would not be walking down that aisle with you unless I was fully committed to you and this marriage. When I proposed to you it wasn't because I was crazy with grief or trying to rebound. I'm going to miss her everyday of my life Krystal, but Dix's dying wish was that I get to take care of our baby, and you're a pretty big part of that plan."

"Well I. Look that's all well and good Tad. I want to get married too. But I want this ceremony to go without a hitch. And I think that a quickie elopement is the only way I'll feel totally okay with everything."

"But sweetheart I...I want to be married with my family, with the people I care about. The ceremony will be fine!"

"No Tad! Now I mean what I'm saying here! This has taken a lot of thought, but unless we elope. I don't see how this wedding will go on at all."

"But..."

"Tad. I didn't want to have to do this. But if we don't elope, I can't go through with this wedding at all. I'm dead serious here Tad. Agree with this or I walk out."

Tad just stared at Krystal with disbelief. Something must have happened to make her this skittish, but he wasn't willing to make this a broken engagement by demanding she be uncomfortable at their wedding. He cared about Jenny too much to let that happen.

"Alright…alright. We'll do it your way. But I have one request. We have a major party with the entire guest list after the ceremony. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes! Yes, Tad that's perfect, but I..I kinda went ahead and picked a party date and place. But it's a bit after the original date. The only day I could get the hall was on the 30th."

"The…, the 30th? God, Please tell me you haven't forgotten what happened that day Krystal!

"Tad I know that but..."

"No! No buts!" Tad said as he angrily cut her off.

"I...I can't plan a wedding on the anniversary of Dix's and her brother's death!! You're delusional to think that I'd even consider dishonoring her memory like that! It's bad enough that I'm not getting married with my family, but now you want me to basically dance on my ex wife's grave! Christ Krystal!"

"Tad I...I know this is hard for you. Believe me I checked every other date in the book but unless we want to get married and then have our party when Jenny's in college, I can't pass this up!"

"Krystal I can't..."

"Look, look I know it's terrible it worked out this way. But if ya think about it, that day the whole family will be together. We can honor Del and Dixie as a family. Besides, you told me that Dixie wanted for you continue to live life. She died wanting you to find out Jenny was our baby, Tad. She wanted us to raise Jenny and take care of her. But if you, if you can't deal we can just elope and not have a party, its up to you."

"C'mon now. Why won't this damn key work. Now I gotta cut through the back." Di said to herself as she walked in the back entrance of the office. She was about to announce herself but realized Tad was talking with Krystal. As she tried to get out without being heard she heard snippets of their conversation.

"Tad, c'mon what do you say. We'll all remember Dixie and Del as a family, all together. We'll be honoring them while celebrating us. Also I talked it over with your dad and Ruth and I think I convinced them."

"What in the world?" Di thought to herself as she heard her siblings being mentioned.

"You're sure it's the only date available?"

"Yes, believe me I was raising hell at the Valley Inn but I couldn't negotiate a thing with 'em."

"Well I..."

"Tad, ya mean it?" Krystal said enthusiastically.

"Can I think about it for a bit?"

"Well I..."

"No, no never mind I can't. I can't otherwise I'll back out. Go ahead and schedule it, a gathering with the folks on the 30th."

"Oh Tad thank you."

"How could he." Di said angrily and on the verge of tears.

"How could he think this would be okay?"

She thought to herself as she walked back to her car.

"How could he possibly agree with her? Why didn't he fight her! He wants to celebrate marrying her on the anniversary of Dixie's death, one week after Del's! How could he? Del didn't even want the wedding in the first place! Oh my God! That scheming pathetic bitchy little..." Di swore under her breath. as she whipped out her cell phone.

"Aidan, I have to talk to you. Well pull over for a second, its important! I want to schedule a memorial service for Del and Dixie. All we did for Del's was buy a bench for the park! And don't even get me started with Dixie's double funeral. Yeah babe, I know I gotta calm down, for the baby's sake, I know. But I can't believe him. Yes, Krystal and Tad are planning their wedding for the 30th! I couldn't believe my ears when I… Yes I was eavesdropping! I'm a P.I it's what I do for a living! Sweetie I can't relax. Not until I get this taken care of. Okay you'll make the arrangements. Okay, Yes I'll go home now and put my feet up, but you promise me you'll take care of this. Alright? Okay, Yes. I'm hanging up now. Okay, Love ya. Bye."

"Take that Krystal. You wanna play that way fine. I just have a feeling people won't be quite as worked up about catching a bouquet on the anniversary of two deaths. I'll make sure of that. You're not gonna get away with this." Di said to herself as she started to drive home.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

PV

"Well, bye Wildwind. It was nice living here while it lasted."

Kate said sadly with a last glance at her old home as she snuck out the back door, pink suitcase in hand. After about fifteen minutes of wandering she found herself at the courtyard in the park and sat on an empty bench, tears in her eyes. She remembered playing here with Emma and coming here with Tad to look at the stars. She had come here over the summer on picnics with Di and Del, and when J.R and Little A were visiting she would take her nephew to the playground. The year that she finally found out Tad was her real dad he had invited all their family here for a party to celebrate them finding her, him finally being able to take care of his little girl.

"No stop! Stop it! You can't think about that anymore!"

Kate scolded herself.

"You can't think about them otherwise you may as well turn around and go home. You can't do that. You're running away and starting over, not trying to make yourself sad and miss everybody."

Kate tried to convince herself to keep walking, not look back, but she couldn't make herself leave the bench. Out of desperation she looked up at the night sky, trying to find some clue to point her in the right direction.

"Hello? Is anyone out there? It's Kate. Kate Martin! I have a problem and I need some help. My daddy would always do this when he was feeling lonely or, or scared. I guess I should ask you a question then. Oh, I got one. Do, do you know why my life like this? Why everything's fallen apart? I used to be happy with my life but now, now I just don't feel like that anymore. If anyone can help me, why is my daddy getting married to a lady that doesn't like me, and who I don't like back? Why are Miss Misty and my Uncle Del gone? Why did they have to end up like my old mom and my old daddy? All I wanted was for my daddy to find a lady to be in love with. Someone who would take care of both of us.

If it helps, I had a lady in mind, not just Miss Misty, even though she was perfect. But, I had a dream once. I...I was in the park, with my daddy. It was just like the day he pulled a quarter out of my ear for the first time.

But it wasn't real.

In my dream, there was this lady. A real pretty lady with hair and eyes just like me, in a white dress.

I remember, she walked into this park, and saw me and she was surprised, but then she looked really happy, except she was crying at the same time.

She called me 'My beautiful Kate' and then I waved to her and she waved back, and she blew me a kiss goodbye."

And then suddenly out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw a single star up in the black sky.

"Cool! Now I get a wish!" Kate thought to herself "Um, okay. Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight...

I wish that the pretty lady in white wasn't just a dream. I wish that she was real, and that she would find me somehow. That she would be my mom and take care of me and Daddy."

Shortly after she made her wish, Kate looked up and realized it was snowing, hard.

"Okay I have to go now. I can't make myself a Popsicle and get sick. I made my wish, not I gotta find somewhere to stay."

As she started walking off in the distance she saw someplace familiar where she was sure she could stay.

"Well that settles it. I'm sleeping at the Pinecone tonight." Kate said as she walked over to the motel.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Pinecone

"Excuse me."

"Wha… what who's there?"

"I'm down here mister!"

"What?"

The man at the desk said with confusion as he stood up and looked over the desk, and was appalled to see a little girl standing there, suitcase in hand at 1:00 in the morning.

"Good Lord. This is a surprise. Oh well, business is business. How may I help you young lady?"

"I was wondering if I could have a room. I need to stay here tonight."

"Do ya have money?"

"Yessir." Kate said as she opened her suitcase and emptied out her change purse containing a five dollar bill and tons of change.

"Is that gonna be enough?" Kate asked innocently.

"Um..."

The man at the desk glanced at the pile of change and realized he'd be here all night.

"Look. You keep your money okay. It's a slow night and I don't see anyone else coming in this weather. It's only for one night. Just consider it a Christmas present."

The man said as he walked Kate over and unlocked the door to the closest room, which happened to be adjoined to the room with his only other guest.

"Thanks mister!" Kate said sleepily as she walked into the room.

"No problem kid." The man said as he walked over to the chair and fell asleep.

As Kate crawled under the covers she was just about to close her eyes when the floor lamp, the only source of light in the tiny room flickered and went out.

Meanwhile in the next room, Dixie was just closing her eyes when she heard a power line being blown down. She opened her eyes and realized she was in total darkness.

"What in the..." Dixie said as she got up and walked down the hall to the front desk.

"Excuse me sir?"

"Oh wow, damn storm must've knocked the power out; there are some candles and flashlights in your room though."

"Thanks for all our help." Dixie said as she saw the man fall back asleep in the chair.

As she got back to her room and found the promised flashlight, Dixie heard a noise sounding like someone crying coming from the room right next to her's.

"Excuse me? Um, Is everything okay in here?" Dixie said as she tapped on the door, but she still heard a whimper. It sounded like it was coming from a child.

"Hello?" Dixie said as she opened the door a crack and with the flashlight saw an opened pink Barbie suitcase on the bed, with a little girl sitting next to it huddled in a ball and sobbing.

"Oh my...Hey, sweetie? Dixie said as she walked over to the little girl and handed her a flashlight.

"Now don't worry honey, it'll be light in a second." Dixie said as she walked over and lit some candles.

"Hey, there's no need to be scared now."

Dixie said with concern as she knelt beside the girl.

"No. I'm not scared."

"Oh okay."

"No really. I kinda like when the power's out. All the candles make the room look pretty."

"Hey I think so too!" Dixie laughed and much to her delight so did the girl.

"Well. If it's not the power being out what's with all the waterworks then?" Dixie asked with concern.

"I'm just sad I guess. I ran away from home today."

"So close to Christmas? Why'd ya run away?"

"My family doesn't need me anymore."

"Really? How could a family not want such a nice girl as you?"

"It's a long story."

"Oh. Okay."

"Do you have a family?" Kate asked.

"Well, that's kind of a long story too. I'm trying to find my family. I'm trying to find my baby."

"Oh. How old's your baby?"

"Well she's not really a baby anymore, now she's actually about 7 years old."

"I'm 6 years old, but my birthday's in 2 weeks."

"Oh well, happy early birthday! Um, what's your name?"

"My name's Kate."

"Oh my God." Dixie said under her breath completely stunned. "Kate!"

Despite every one of her instincts telling Dixie that the little girl in a blanket was her daughter, she tried to regain her composure and relax. She couldn't jump to conclusions and even more so risk scaring this little girl, especially with her barely able to see her in the dark motel room.

"Well that, that's a very nice name."

"Yeah I like it."

"So um, Kate if…if you run away, wouldn't your parents miss you?"

"No. Well maybe my daddy would, but he's too busy thinking about getting married. I'm gonna have a step mom."

"Oh. Well if you don't mind me asking, what happened to your real mom?"

"Well, I know that I had an adoptive mommy and daddy, but they died a few years ago in a car accident. Since then it's just me and my real dad. 'Cept he never talks about my real mom very much."

"Oh I'm sorry. So you don't know a thing about her?"

"Well, I have a feeling I know who she would look like. I once had this dream with a lady who I think is my real mommy."

"What was the lady like?"

"Well in my dream she was in a white dress, but I don't remember much else. Um Miss? I'm just wondering. I know its kinda dark, but it looks like you have shiny eyes."

"I...I do?"

"Yeah, kinda. I've seen other people who get eyes like yours. It means you're sad but not sad at the same time."

"Really? You are a very observant girl Kate. The smartest one I've ever met."

"Thanks!" Kate said smiling at the lady's compliment.

"But I... I only knew that 'cause it happens to my dad when he thinks about the pretty lady. "

"Wait, what pretty lady?"

"When my old mommy was in the hospital this pretty lady visited me, and we made a card for my old mom. She's the lady my daddy is in love with."

"Oh my..." Dixie whispered as she vaguely remembered the scene Kate had described. They were playing games together and wrote Get Well Soon on a sheet of paper. The whole scene, the whole memory started coming back.

"Um, Kate. What did this pretty lady look like?"

"Lets see. Kinda like the lady in my dream!"

Kate said triumphantly, and then suddenly the lamp in the corner came back on.

"Oh wow. I remember what she looked like now! She looked just like you!" Kate said happily as she ran over to Dixie's side of the bed.

"Um miss I..I was just wondering. What's your name?"

"Oh my name, my name's…Dixie."

Dixie tried to answer the question but could barely get the words out as she felt a sob coming on and tears in her eyes. This sweet little girl standing in front of her was who she saw in the park, who she managed to identify as her daughter. This was Kate, her baby girl.

"Oh my gosh. That…that was her name. That was the name of the pretty lady! That was the name of my mommy."

Kate whispered in disbelief, realizing that name sounded so familiar to her. Then she figured out why.

She remembering hearing her dad and her family say that lady's name so many times. Talking about her when they thought Kate wasn't listening. Saying how much Kate had reminded them of her real mom, of Dixie.

Everyone said they had the same eyes and hair, the same smile. How they were both brave when they needed to be, but stubborn no matter what. How they both loved Tad no matter what he did, and could never stay mad at him no matter how hard they tried.

But even if she didn't know this lady's name, ever since this woman had walked into her room with the flashlights, Kate had felt something. A feeling she couldn't describe. She just felt safe. Even though the lady was a stranger who had just seen her for the first time, Kate felt like she knew her somehow. The way she was talking to her, the way she had calmed her down, making sure that she was alright. Making jokes and letting her know that everything would be okay. She knew that this feeling wasn't coming from no place. This was the lady from her dreams, the lady she wished on a star for, the lady she needed in her life. Now she just had to make sure, if she was who she thought, if her wish had come true.

"Um…Miss Dixie? Are…are you my mom?"

"I...I think I am sweetheart. I think I'm your mom!" Dixie said fighting back tears.

"Well wait. I'm…I'm confused. If you're my real mommy how come I had an adoptive mom and dad?

When Daddy found me he said that it was 'cause we were destined to find each other, but he never told me the whole story and I..I never asked."

"Oh my God. Sweetheart. I need you to listen to me very carefully alright.''

Dixie said nervously as she began to recall everything that Ian had told her, about that day in the hospital with the mad doctor. It had dawned on her that the reason she got chills thinking about this woman, was because the mom and baby in that scenario had been her and Kate.

"Now most importantly Kate, I have always…always loved you, no matter what. You understand?

I never, ever wanted for you to have another mommy and another daddy take care of you, but I was so…so lucky, that they took as good care of you as they did.

But baby, as happy and relieved as I am that your adoptive parents were good people, I didn't know for sure that they would treat you like the precious baby you were. I was scared for you Kate. I was more scared then I'd ever been in my whole life, all of that time that you weren't being taken care of by me and your dad, I was worried and sad and upset for so many years Kate. All the years that I wasn't spending with you was killing me."

"But what…what happened? How come I was given away?"

"Because Kate, there was a man, a very bad man, who stole you away from me when I was in a hospital.

"He wanted to make sure that we could never find you again, that we couldn't call you our daughter.

But I.I fought back Kate. I followed that mean man all over the world to find you, and when, when your daddy found out what happened we hoped and prayed we'd find you. And then one day, I saw you and I knew. I just knew that you were Kate and I...I told your daddy to take good care of you."

Even though Dixie couldn't recall that event occurring, she knew it had to have happened at some point for Kate to be so attached to her dad. She had to at some point given that man his daughter. But Dixie was still wary at mentioning him, her hardly even remembering a thing about the man who had fathered her baby.

"But where…where were you?"

"Sweetheart, you know how you were taken away from me by a bad man? Well, another different person took me away from you, from your daddy, from my family."

"What man?"

"Kate…listen okay. All that bad stuff that happened to me…it's all behind us now. I promise you that. Those mean people that took us, and tried to keep us apart, they're gone now. They aren't ever coming after us again."

"Okay. I believe you. Everything's okay now, I know now. I know that you are my real mommy."

Kate said with shiny eyes and a smile as she gave Dixie a hug.

"Oh Kate." Dixie sobbed as she picked her daughter up and held her close.

"Wait Mommy…why are you still so sad?"

"Kate… I'm just happy."

"No, no you're not. I'm sad because I'm happy, you're sad because you're sad, your eyes look scared. What's wrong? Tell me."

Kate asked as she backed up and stared at her mom with concern.

"Kate, I..." Dixie said softly as she tried to make herself lie, try and force herself to say the words. To tell her daughter that she was just tired and once they got a good nights sleep she'd be fine, but she was incapable once she looked at her daughter's big blue eyes to say anything to that sweet face but the truth. She couldn't tell Kate everything would be fine, not when she wasn't absolutely sure of that herself.

"Alright sweetie. Do you remember when I said that I was taken away from you, from my family, by a mean man?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, Kate, that man, he wanted to make sure I never found you again, and he thought he could by..."

Dixie trailed off as she broke down in tears. How could she tell her daughter the truth?

"Mommy, its, its okay. Just tell me, what happened?"

Kate said as she sat on Dixie's lap and put her arm around her mom trying to reassure her.

"By making sure I couldn't remember you, or anyone. He gave me something to make me forget everything about my life, my family, and my friends. He wanted for me to stay away from you all for good. Sweetheart, do you understand?" Dixie asked as she looked Kate in the eye.

"But, how come you can still remember me?"

"Because, I found you baby. I wished on a star that I could find my beautiful little girl and it worked! I just, I haven't found the rest of my…of our family yet. And they don't know to come and find me."

"Mommy, listen to me okay. I'm good at remembering stuff. I know who all our family is and I'm gonna help you find them. I want to help you remember everything Mom! I want you to be part of our family again! I love you."

"Oh my sweet girl." Dixie said as she embraced her sleepy daughter.

"I love you sunshine. I always have and I always will. 'Cause ya know what?"

"Hmm?" Kate said with a yawn as Dixie realized it was 3:00 in the morning. She had to get Kate to fall asleep, and softly started singing to her.

"You, you are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray, you'll never know dear, how much I love you, please don't take, my sunshine, away."

Suddenly Dixie realized that her plan had worked, Kate was half asleep in her arms. She kissed her goodnight and placed the sleeping girl on the other side of the bed with her blanket and stuffed animal, and switched off the lamp. As she covered herself with the blanket the last thing she saw was a gentle snowfall and a sky full of stars.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Pinecone

"Mommy! Yoo hoo! C'mon, wake up!"

"Hmmm."

Dixie said with a moan as she felt a persistent tapping on her left shoulder.

"Mommy!" Kate screeched as she tried to get her mom's attention

"What! What, what happened?" Dixie said panicked as she sat up in bed. "Who's there?"

"Mommy it's just me!" Kate said happily.

"Oh my God!" Dixie yelped with surprise as Kate suddenly came out of hiding from beside her bed.

"Oh sweetie." Dixie said as she picked her daughter up.

"Thank God all this wasn't just a dream." Dixie whispered to herself as she hugged Kate close.

"Mommy! C'mon let go."

Kate said as she began squirming.

"Alright if you insist." Dixie said with an exaggerated pout.

"Mommy! You're so silly." Kate said laughing.

"Well where do you think you get it from, hmm?" Dixie said with a smile. "Did you sleep alright baby?"

"Uh huh. Better then I have in a long time."

"I'm glad. Now let's say me and you go and get cleaned up, get outta here, and get something for breakfast okay?"

"No pancakes right?"

"No. No pancakes. C'mon lets get moving."

"Kate, you all packed up"

"Yeah I'm all set."

"Okay well lets go, we're gonna go to your favorite restaurant and we'll eat whatever you want. You're the boss today."

"Okay, well if I'm the boss then I know where we have to go."

Kate said as they walked out of the Pinecone.

"But before we eat can I ask you something first?"

"Anything sweetheart. You can always ask me anything you want."

"Did you get your memories back, from that bad man?"

"Oh my... Kate, I..."

Dixie said feeling tears well up in her eyes, feeling an unusual mix of emotions. She was filled with pride for her daughter but felt utter failure towards herself.

She couldn't believe that her seven year old daughter was asking her this question. That she was already this mature.

She was supposed to be the mom, the responsible adult, the one who was supposed to be looking out and concerned for her child's safety. Kate never should have had to feel responsible for her mom's well being, not when she was this young, and especially not when her mother had come back into her life just the night before.

"Mom?" Kate asked with concern.

"Sweetheart I...I just can't believe that you asked me that just now."

"You didn't get them back. Did you?"

"Oh Kate."

"Nope, you didn't. You didn't get sad eyes until I asked you."

"No now Kate. Listen to me alright! Listen to me very carefully. I think that you are the bravest and smartest girl in the entire world, and I am so proud and so moved that you are this worried about me right now. I love you so much hon, but you can't feel responsible for helping me to remember everything, okay?

You, you're my daughter Kate. I'm supposed to be taking care of you, to protect you. You shouldn't feel like you need to watch over me! You understand?"

"No, I actually don't Mommy. I love you, you're my family. Family helps each other out. Last night you helped me and made sure I was okay, now I have to make sure that you're okay, that you're happy. I know how to help you remember everything and I have to help you."

"But Kate I"

"Mommy." Kate said sounding impatient. Then Dixie knew she wouldn't win this argument.

She laughed as she recognized Kate's stubborn attitude as exactly the same as hers.

"You really are my daughter aren't you! Okay. I give up."

"Good! C'mon just a little farther this way. We're almost there."

"Okay now wait just a second there young lady. I need to know right this second where our mystery destination is. C'mon now."

"Well, alright I guess I'll tell ya, if I have to."

"Yes you do."

"Well, when Daddy and I first found each other, we went back to this little house. Daddy said we were just gonna stay there for one night 'cause Wildwind was too far away and it wasn't a great night for driving. It was an okay house, a bit messy, but it felt homey. Anyways I asked Daddy if we were gonna live here together, and he said that this was just temporary and we were gonna move back to Wildwind.

He looked kinda sad there though. One day I heard him talking to my aunt, and he said that we weren't gonna live in the old house anymore, just 'cause it was an old bachelor pad."

"And was your daddy right...This place has bachelor written all over it."

"But anyways, we came 'cause Daddy also said..."

Kate said as she walked up and opened the front door.

"That it was full of memories! C'mon in Mom!"

"Actually this place is looking familiar."

Dixie trailed off as she glanced into the house through the open door.

"What the hell. I..?

"Forget to pay the electric bill?"

"No, I was thinking."

"Yeah well that makes two of us. I was thinking is Tad avoiding everyone, or is it just me?"

"Oh my God. I've been here before..." Dixie whispered to herself as she continued to explore the house.

"I remember... Oh my God. I remember coming here…and I..I gave him. Kate's, Kate's bonnet. Right over there!"

Dixie whispered as she looked around the living room, all these memories suddenly flooding back into her head. Feeling lightheaded she fell back onto the couch.

"Everything is gonna be alright.."

"Our last….last hope of finding our daughter is gone. It died in a box, next to Madden. It died in a box because of me. All this time, it was so easy, .blaming you, she was gone because of you. Kate was lost because of you. But you were right. It was me. I'm as guilty as you, moreso. I'm the one to blame for losing our daughter, not you. Dixie,I don't know who I am anymore."

"You can beat yourself up over this but it's not gonna bring back what we lost. The only thing that you can do is to look ahead, think of the future. Think of finding Kate."

"Dixie I can't. What if we find her? What then? I took a man's life! I'm gonna carry that for the rest of my life! I don't deserve to raise Kate!"

"Listen, .just listen to me okay. You were desperate. You're not to blame, you felt weak, you felt lost.

I understand. I know what that's like, you don't think, you don't act. You just think about getting through today and don't think about tomorrow, you just want to make sure you do what you need to do."

"My God, this was how you felt wasn't it? I'm so sorry Dix."

"I...I was sitting right here. He told me…he told me everything that he did, and we, we forgave each other. For losing Kate. We decided to put the past behind us and move on, start fresh and he…he lost hope that we would find her. It was Christmas and he didn't want to decorate. He was so upset..."

"Dixie what are you doing?"

"These were thrown away, you can't throw Christmas away! What is this? You aren't throwing away this? JR made this!"

"That is just a dish that has been feeding rats."

"What about this? Jamie made this."

"An all white Santa."

"Santa, this is not a Santa."

"It's albino Santa!"

"You are not throwing away Albino Santa, I can't believe..."

"Look I didn't even check the box. Take this stuff if you want to."

"You are just saying this because we don't have Kate with us for Christmas."

"Mommy! What's wrong?"

At the sound of her daughter's voice, Dixie came out of her daydream and realized she had tears in her eyes. She remembered why she knew this place, why it was so familiar. Kate's father had lived here. She had been her before; recently, they had both been searching for Kate together.

"Kate. I think I'm starting to remember your dad. I remember when we were looking for you; we were here, in this house. I was here with…with Tad!"

Dixie said happily as she finally recalled his name.

The name of the love of her life.

"Yes! I knew this would work! Okay I have to show you something now. Do you remember the people in this picture?"

Kate asked with excitement as she showed Dixie an old picture of her, Tad, and her boys.

"Oh my God.. I remember. We were all sitting here. In the living room, Tad was eating cereal with, candy in it."

"And then?"

"And then…Oh my God."

Suddenly Dixie remembered. She and Tad had taken care of children in this house, of two boys.

"Do you remember them Mom?"

"Vaguely. I...I remember when we took this picture though. Him."

Dixie said gesturing to a picture of JR. when he was about twelve or thirteen.

"He came home with a black and white puppy that day…and he spent the whole day playing with her. He thought it would be something we could…we could take care of."

And at that Dixie remembered something terrible and painful had happened right around that time. Something had happened that made the boy in the picture feel like she needed something to take care of.

"Tad and I...were talking about something. Something we had lost."

"Do you remember what?"

"I…I can't." Dixie said sounding defeated.

"No. It's, it's okay. You see the boys in the picture, that's Jamie, and that's J.R. They're my brothers.

My half brothers."

"JR! My baby. My sunshine! Oh my God."

Dixie sobbed as she saw her son for the first time.

"And Jamie too. Oh my boys."

It all began to come back. All the birthday parties, the vacations, the good times and the bad. It all had come back to her.

"Okay Kate, we have a little project we have to do now okay. We need to find all the pictures we can find of the rest of our family so I can remember them alright!"

"Don't worry. I have a plan." Kate said as she went to her suitcase and pulled out a bright pink binder.

"Awhile ago Daddy helped me make this. It's got all the people you need to remember in it, it's all our family and friends."

After a few hours Kate and Dixie finally got through all the pictures in the album, and for the first time in a long time, Dixie felt like herself. She knew her family again, she knew her friends. Her wish on the star had come true. She had her life back.

"Um Mommy? I know something you should probably know about too."

"What about sweetheart?"

"Well, ya know how you know about our family and all now. Well they don't really know about you yet."

"I know baby, but they'll find out about me soon enough. I promise you that. We're gonna make sure they all know that I'm home again."

"Well I know there's someone who really needs you back. Who really loves you and misses you, but he just needs to know you miss him back. We need to find Daddy and tell him that you still love him, before he makes a big mistake."

Dixie looked at Kate and sighed. Even though she knew who Tad was now, knew what he looked like and how he acted, and knew that they had a history, she still was fuzzy about important things that had happened in those twenty something years. She also knew that Tad had seemed to have moved on. He had a life of his own now, and even though Kate disapproved of some of his recent decisions, she felt in no position to pass judgment on a man whose name she had only known for a day. Especially when he seemed to have his life on track and she had just gotten her's back.

"Kate listen. I'm not sure of what's gonna happen with me and your dad yet."

"But Mom! I."

"Now let me finish. Your daddy will find out that I'm alive, and we'll take it from there, okay?"

"Can we go to the wedding?"

"We'll just see about that. Now it is way past your bedtime sweetheart. We'll stay here tonight okay?"

"Okay."

"Did I tell you how much I love you yet?"

"Yup. I love you too Mommy."

Kate said sleepily as she curled up on the couch with her mom by her side.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

PV

Di & Aidan's

"Hello? Anyone home?"

Julia said as she knocked on the door.

"Oh hey there Julia. Come on in."

Aidan said glumly as he let Julia into the living room.

"Hey? What's up? You don't seem like your usual chipper self."

"Nothing. I'm just a bit frustrated is all."

"With what?"

"Well where do I start? I've got a pregnant wife who isn't capable of going a minute without a mood swing. and I'm at my wits end."

"Oh c'mon now Aidan. You honestly can't be that surprised that Di's this emotional! Besides if you're that stressed out you can always ask me to lend a hand.

Oh, hey Di!"

"Hey Julia." Di said with traces of mascara running down her face as she came out of the bedroom in a bathrobe.

"Hey you! How's everything going?"

"Eh." Di shrugged

"Oh well, I actually came to see if you guys wanted to head over to Wildwind for Tad and Krystal's party."

"Julia I..." Aidan said as Di cut him off.

"No Aidan, it's fine. Julia, I'm actually not much in the mood for celebrating, right now. I was just gonna stop by later with a gift."

"Oh well I… Okay I guess."

"Will you excuse me?" Di said sadly as she walked back into the bedroom.

"Wow I see what you mean. She's a wreck. Poor thing, all that morning sickness must be catching up with her."

"Oh it's not just the morning sickness believe me.

No, she has every reason to be upset, and not just because of the baby."

"Well than ya mind telling me what you're talking about?"

"Oh c'mon now Julia. You're one of the smartest sheilas I know and one of Di's best friends. You must know."

"Actually no..." Julia said looking confused.

"Do you by any chance know today's date?"

"Yeah its the thirtieth...Oh no! Oh my God I completely…and Del too! So much for being her best friend." Julia scolded herself.

"Hey don't blame yourself. You aren't to blame here, you didn't plan this blasted party, you didn't choose quite possibly the worst date in the entire world and didn't just think of yourself."

Aidan said bitterly.

"Aidan I..."

"Look Julia, I'm allowed to be angry at Tad once in awhile."

"And I'm not saying you shouldn't be, but..."

Julia tried to speak but Aidan cut her off.

"I mean I work with the guy 'round the clock. We're pals and all, but sometimes I just wanna smack the bloke upside the head! I mean him of all people should have planned ahead with this and not just totally disregarded other people's feelings. Look at what he's putting us through, what he's putting Di and our baby through."

"Aidan just listen for a sec okay. Tad is not totally at fault here. What he has done is gotten way too deep in a big trap that he can't get out of. He didn't plan this date; he was against it until Krystal talked him into it. Something that she's got a pretty good rep for if ya ask me."

"Whoa there, back up! Sweet, calm, loving nurse Julia who couldn't hurt a fly, has it out for Krystal?" Aidan said teasingly.

"Hey, you're no saint yourself there Mister Private Detective Devane!"

"Okay. I get it."

"No Aidan seriously, don't tell anyone about this but I don't trust Krystal farther than I can throw her. I think Tad is getting himself in a boatload of trouble with her. I mean look at all she's put him through with the baby. Look at how she was all set to lie to Tad about his own child, all ready to raise her with Adam Chandler of all people! She hurt him bad Aidan! She lied to his face about his own child!"

Julia said with a trace of nervousness in her voice. She was afraid to admit her suspicions to anyone, but she wasn't completely sure Tad was Jenny's dad. There had been rumblings around the hospital that a DNA test had been authorized for Jenny by a certain big shot named Adam Chandler.

"Believe me I know. I work with the guy everyday Julia! I've seen him go through all the stages of hell this past year! The guy hasn't had a moment's peace, and then finally when he gets a glimpse of happiness it dies right there with the love of his life. And then look who he has to help pick up the pieces, the woman who tore his life up once before comes in to do it all again, when Tad is in the worst possible shape. He didn't even confront her about her lying to him to keep her from running off with their kid. And now the guy is letting her walk all over him just 'cause he's scared he'll lose Jenny if he doesn't grant Krystal's every wish. This is the worst I've ever seen him at Julia."

"I know. I'm worried about him too, and I know this sounds terrible to say, but I almost feel like Kate's being almost taken for granted. Look at how many times that sweet girl has run away from home Aidan! Ever since Tad and Krystal moved in together a week ago I hardly ever see Kate anymore! It's awful Aidan. The whole thing is just sad and I feel terrible just even bringing it up." Julia said sadly, but almost relieved.

It felt good to let all that resentment towards Krystal finally be let loose. She had been furious at that woman ever since the day Tad walked into Wildwind to tell her the truth about Charlotte. He had never looked worse off then he did at that moment, except on the day Dixie had died .That winter day at the park he looked like the wind was knocked out of him. The little sparkle in his eye that Dixie had finally put back there went out at her funeral, and now the little trace of her friend that was left was nonexistent. He had changed; he had changed for Krystal, changed into a man that nobody recognized anymore. Sure he was happy, sure he cracked jokes, but the Tad she and Aidan had known for years was gone, and the one person who could bring him back was gone for good.

"Why'd you do it God? Huh? Why did you take away Tad's last hope? Why did you take Dixie from him, from Kate, from us?"

Julia thought silently to herself missing her friend, and her friend's wacky brother.

"Eh Julia? You there?"

"Yeah, yeah Aidan I'm here. I was just thinking."

"Yeah I've been doing quite a bit of that myself." Aidan said sadly, knowing exactly what was on Julia's mind.

"You know something; I'm starting to realize I don't want to go to that party. I don't wanna celebrate today. Di was right. What are we celebrating? A wedding we don't want, that we know Dixie and Del didn't want. Shouldn't we be honoring our friends rather then putting on a fake smile at a party Aidan?"

"I couldn't have said it better myself. I can't stand around and celebrate while Di is still mourning her family. No, definitely not. Today should be a day to honor and remember our friends, not put on an act."

"Look, I'm gonna go make some phone calls. We're gonna have a service for Del. He died a week ago today and barely got a memorial. We're gonna honor Dixie too. It'll help Di move on, the girl needs some closure."

"So we're definitely blowing off the party?"

"Well how much of a party will there be when half the guest list is no-shows. Krystal will just have to deal." Julia said as she headed towards the door.

"I'll bring Di around the cemetery in a little while then alright?"

"Perfect. I'll see you in a bit. This will be good for us Aidan. We're gonna honor and remember our friends, Get past the mourning and move on."

"I couldn't agree more, see ya soon." Aidan said with a smile as he went to check on his wife.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

PV

Park/Cemetery

"Aidan?"

"No."

"Babe just listen..."

"Sorry, can't hear you." Aidan said jokingly as he placed his hands over his ears much to Di's annoyance.

"Just for a second okay! You don't have to be here. I…"

"No Di, you can't talk me out of this."

"But Aidan! You don't get it; you don't have to be here! I'm fine! I'm fine babe, trust me. I'm a big girl; I can go to the cemetery for a while you go to the reception. It's better if I'm there alone Aidan, trust me on this!"

Di tried to protest but Aidan just gave her a kiss and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Do you honestly think that I'm going to abandon you here? The mother of my child and the love of my life? Di, I promised you that you would be able to honor Del and Dixie properly and that's where we're going now. Together."

"But..."

"Shh. No buts. Now c'mon. This way."

"Aidan, gosh you are such a ... Oh my God!" Di whispered as she got to the cemetery and realized she definitely wasn't gonna be alone.

"C'mon over here you." Julia said as she took Di by the hand over to the group of family and friends already seated. As she walked over to Del and Dixie's memorials she saw Joe, Ruth, Palmer, Brooke, Opal, Jr, Whitney, Jamie, and Little A looking back at her.

"I...I thought you all would be at the party!" Di said on the verge of tears, moved that everyone had come to support her and her siblings.

"The party can wait a little bit for half the guest list. We all just felt like this was someplace we all should be." Brooke said matter of factly.

"Di, you're a part of this family too. Del deserved more of a memorial then one with just his sister and niece." Joe said from his seat.

Suddenly Aidan came up and asked Di if she wanted to say a few words.

"Well, what is there to say about my brother..." Di said with a sad smile as she began telling stories of how Del could always lighten the mood, and while he could be the biggest pain sometimes, or say the wrong thing, he always had her back and tried his best to look out for her. Even though he was often unsuccessful, he always had the best intentions.

"I have to say, there are many times I had difficulty getting past my brother's goofy side, but there were a few times, when he would really let his guard down, and became the sweetest guy you could meet. This side was the only side of my brother that our niece ever saw. One night a few years ago, I was walking down the hall and heard my brother singing, pretty badly but singing nonetheless, "You are my Sunshine" to get Kate to fall asleep..."

"Oh God." JR whispered to himself as he felt himself getting emotional. He couldn't get like this here; he had already mourned for his mother enough. He thought enough time had passed when he could come back to Pine Valley and hear stories about his mom and be happy at the memories.

But instead to his dismay he felt choked up and all the anger and pain surrounding Dixie's death came right on back to him.

"Honey? Say something. Jamie! Something's wrong with J.R" Whitney said as she looked over at her pale fiancé.

"J.R? Are you okay?"

Jamie asked his brother with concern.

"I...I've gotta go James."

"I'm coming too then, you can't be alone right now." Jamie said as he picked up Little A and walked out of the park with his brother.

"You know. I actually think that Del is spying on us from up there. Him and…and Dix..."

Di tried to say as she trailed off looking into the distance.

"Di? Sweetheart? Are you alright? You look pale." Aidan raced over to Di sounding panicked as Julia and Joe followed him.

"Yeah Di? Hey, look at me."

Julia tried to get her friends attention as she and Joe ran over to check on her.

"I..." Di said feeling dizzy and lightheaded.

"Joe is she alright?" Ruth asked with alarm as she made her way through crowd to check on her.

"What…what's going on?" Opal asked as she and Palmer stood up.

"Oh God!" Julia yelled as she saw her friend collapse.

"No...no it's fine I got her. Di? C'mon wake up!" Aidan panicked as he held Di in his arms.

"Hey wait.. I think she's coming too." Brooke said.

"I'm calling an ambulance." Palmer said as he whipped out his cell phone.

"Di? Can you hear me?" Joe asked concerned.

"Wha? I..."

Di said as she struggled to open her eyes to see everyone standing over her.

"Oh thank God…Di? Di are you alright?" Aidan said sounding shaken.

"It was probably nothing major Aidan. We're gonna get her to the hospital just to make sure."

"Di? Do you remember what happened? You were staring off in the distance when you collapsed." Julia asked with concern.

"I...I saw. My sister."

Di whispered.

"Oh dear. Look Di we'll get you to the hospital okay? Everything will be fine." Joe said as he tried to help Di to a nearby chair as Aidan held her hand, but looked over and heard rustling in the bushes.

"No. It couldn't be..." He said to himself.

"Poor thing is probably out of it." Ruth said sadly to Brooke and Whitney who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah she must've been daydreamin or something."

Opal muttered sarcastically as she stood away from the crowd.

"Cause that's the only way a woman like her would see my Dixie up in heaven. Yessir, she's have to be totally hallucinatin to see her sister, after stealin her life like she did. It's a shame she wasn't more like that brother of hers. That fine young man." Opal said with a grin.

"Hi Grandma Opal!"

"Well what in the…hello there peanut! I haven't seen you in so long, come here and give your grandma a big hug. That's a girl." Opal said as she gave Kate a hug.

"You're funny Grandma."

"Oh well I'm well aware of that cutie."

"No, you telling everyone they have to daydream to see Mom. You don't need to be daydreamin or wishing to see her..."

"Oh you. You are your mama's daughter. You know that!"

"Yeah Mommy told me that too. You can tell her you think so too!" Kate said as she turned around and winked,

"Oh honey I…Wait what was that noise? What in the...Oh my stars. No, no it can't be. No. Oh dear Lord I'm losing my mind!"

Opal stuttered as she stared into the distance.

"Honestly Opal what are you blathering on about? Stop your stuttering. Can't you see we have an emergency on our...Oh my God?"

"Opal, Palmer. Is everything alright over there. You're too quiet." Joe laughed before he and Ruth turned around and realized the reason for the silence.

"Hey guys we kinda have an issue going on over here. Hello? What's wrong with you all?" Brooke thought as the turned around to see what the problem was.

"Oh my God."

"Brooke? Are you okay? Julia asked with concern.

"Um Julia? Who is that? Over there in the gray dress?" Whitney asked with curiosity.

"She looks so familiar, I could've sworn I…Oh my God... Is that..."

"It, it might be!" Julia whispered as she saw Di get out of her chair and walk over to the blonde woman standing next to Kate.

"Careful babe." Aidan said with shock as he watched Di walk over to the guest.

"Is…is it really you? Are you my sister?" Di asked with tears in her eyes as she finally came face to face with Dixie.

"Wait, um. I..." Dixie said nervously as she started to back away from the crowd of people staring at her. She had wanted to take this reuniting thing one step at a time, not walk into a huge family reunion. She felt so panicked she couldn't even remember any of their names, and knew if she didn't leave soon she would pass out and embarrass herself all the more.

"I...I was supposed to come to...to a wedding here. I didn't mean to crash this, I...I'm so sorry. C'mon Kate. Let's go I..."

"No Mom, It's okay. Relax. This is our family!"

"Sweetheart I don't..."

Dixie tried to protest but Kate cut her off with a look, and proceeded to face the crowd.

"Hi everybody, um. This is my mom. This is Dixie. She got her memory taken away, and we've been working really hard to get it back. She's just nervous 'cause she is having trouble remembering you all right now."

"Kate, how did you find..."

Brooke tried to ask but was still too stunned to speak. She was on assignment for Tempo the day of Dixie and Babe's "funerals" but she had gotten a call from Jamie telling her the horrible news. How could Dixie possibly be alive? But then again this was Pine Valley, anything could happen.

"Mommy found me when we were both staying at the Pinecone after I ran away..."

Kate went on to explain how Dixie was taken away by a bad man but that she had escaped and they had found their way back to each other two days ago.

Then Dixie showed the letter she had gotten from Milo, and explained how she was living as Misty for years and been part of the mob.

"I...I remember seeing you around town when you were Misty. I thought you both looking alike was just some crazy coincidence. But I never thought..."

Joe said with amazement.

"My God. It's just a miracle now isn't it" Ruth said with tears in her eyes as she gave Dixie a hug.

"It sure is. Thank the Lord. I never thought I'd be able to have a second chance Dixie. I never thought I'd be able to spend a day with both my niece and my grandniece as long as I lived on this earth."

"I can't believe. I mean how many times did I drop Kate off at school and see you? How many times did I see you around town and not once would I have ever thought that…it would be you." Julia said as she silently thanked God that her prayer had been answered.

"Well look at how terrible we are! You lived under the same roof as us for almost a year and we never saw it comin, did we babe?"

"I just can't believe I almost sent you to prison, or that you and I both battled the mob!"

Di laughed with tears streaming down her face.

"Oh my God…I wonder if Del..?"

"He did. Actually..." Dixie said sadly.

"He was going to come get me at the hospital and we were all set to come home when..." Dixie couldn't get the words out as she and Di both cried.

"If it's a boy he's gonna be named after his uncle." Di smiled as she patted her belly.

"Hi um…I don't think you know me, I'm Whitney. I'm you're soon to be daughter in law."

"Oh my God. You and J.R! I promise I'll try to be a tolerable mother in law." Dixie laughed.

"Um sorry but I've got the best mama in law trophy on my mantle Miss Dixie. And I'll be damned if you try and take it from me." Opal smiled.

"I'm just kiddin ya, darlin. I missed you so much, I just couldn't stand it."

"Speaking of which where are the boys?" Dixie asked curiously.

"They, had trouble sitting through the ceremony." Brooke told Dixie as the ambulance came for Di, with Julia, Aidan, Whitney, and Joe close behind.

"I think the boys went back to the mansion. Why don't you go pay them a visit? Don't worry I'll take care of the gang here."

"Thanks so much Brooke."

"It's no problem Dixie, Wow; I just never thought I'd be able to say that to you ever again." Brooke said with a sob as she gave Dixie a huge hug

"I mean when Jamie called with the news I was shocked. Stunned. I was on an assignment I'd been working towards my whole career and I wanted nothing more then to come home and be there for everyone. Tad was just a wreck. No, look don't just stand here listen to me blubber all afternoon. Go find our boys!"

"C'mon Mom, the mansions this way. We gotta go see my brothers!"

"Wait, hold on you! Mommy can't run that fast in heels!" Dixie said laughing as she tried to chase down Kate.

"I'll see you guys in a bit!"

"My God. I never thought I'd see that." Palmer said happily,

"Yeah we just have one part of that adorable picture missin'. I have to go and find that son of mine and tell him the news."

"Oh Opal just relax about that boy of yours." Palmer said sounding agitated.

"Your son as of right now is to be married to another woman who just doesn't happen to be like a daughter to me. Dixie's just gotten her life back, is it really necessary to include in that a man who will just break her heart again? She didn't ask about him. Hopefully she's blocked him out."

"No, hopefully she's blocked out the damage to their relationship. All the horrible stuff that they've been put through. This also includes the stunts that were pulled all those years ago." Ruth said in a scolding tone directed at Palmer and Opal.

"We dealt with enough of your meddling in Dixie's and Tad's relationship to last three lifetimes, and they've both suffered enough. Now Tad may be engaged to Krystal but that doesn't mean he doesn't need to know that the mother of his child is alive and well, and our granddaughter and your niece, deserves to be taken care of by both of her parents. But in any event Tad will find out Dixie is home eventually, without help from any of us. Let's let those two work everything out on their own."

At this Palmer and Opal got solemn expressions on their faces.

"But, they need us. Um, I mean. What I'm saying is we have to tell Tad, Ruth!" Opal said panicked.

"And, and Dixie needs to know what has happened with Tad and Krystal! We need to tell them." Palmer said as he took out his cell phone, but Ruth stopped him and gave him a sympathetic glance.

"I know its hard guys. But as much as I hate to admit it, the kids are all grown up!"

"I...I know that." Palmer said stubbornly.

"But. It's like they're kids all over again Ruth. Not knowing any of this stuff that's goin on. I mean they don't even know that the other one exists yet! We gotta kinda, give 'em a push ya know?"

"Opal. We gotta let this run its course okay. It's written in the stars that Tad and Dixie belong together, together forever."

"They've broken up and made up too many times to count. They've been through every type of hell imaginable, but have gotten through to the other side and been even stronger because of it. They've beaten death for each other, seen the ultimate paradise and turned right back around to be with each other. Plus they got past our meddling, and Lord knows that takes strength. Just give them some time to figure things out. We all know they will. Right guys?"

Ruth asked and then Opal and Palmer begrudgingly agreed to let everything run its course.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Chandler Mansion

"Hey James. I. I'm sorry for leaving the memorial like that, but you didn't have to follow me, ya know? I mean I can take care of myself."

"Hey it's no sweat. And I probably would have snuck out myself if you hadn't gotten the idea first. I mean it was a good idea, we needed a memorial for Del, but I've just been to too many funerals lately. I couldn't stand it."

"I mean I was okay until they brought up Mom, then I just... I had to get out of there, you know? I didn't want to lose it in front of Little Adam either."

"It's okay man. I get it."

"Don't worry sir I'll get it!" Winifred said as she ran to answer the front door.

"Hey little sis! What's happening?" Jamie said with a smile as Kate bolted into the living room.

"What are you doin in this neck of the woods? Hmm? Who brought you here?"

J.R asked with a smile, but with some concern wondering how his 7 year old sister managed to make her way halfway across town.

"Oh it was no problem. Mommy brought me."

"What?" Jr asked with confusion.

"No, Kate. You're being silly. Where's Aunt Julia at?" Jamie said with a knowing glance at J.R.

"No Aunt Julia isn't here silly. Mommy is!" Kate said as she turned around and saw Dixie in the foyer.

"Okay Dixie just breathe. Everything will be fine." Dixie thought as she cautiously stepped into the living room, and was speechless as she saw the two grown men staring back at her.

"Hi guys..." Dixie whispered with a smile as tears filled her eyes. She remembered it all now. These were her boys.

"Oh my God. D…Dixie?" Jamie stuttered. "It. It can't be..."

"Mom?" JR said his voice barely a whisper.

"Oh..oh my God. No, no it can't be. God, I'm seeing things. I'm seeing ghosts..."

"J.R? Sunshine?"

Dixie asked with concern.

"No. It's not. It's not you! Don't...don't call me that. You…you're not my mother. You're a fake! You…you know Hayward. It's all him. He's…he's messing with my head. My mother is dead. I...I saw her. I went to her funeral...Whoever the hell you are; just get out of my house! You're...you're just a fake!"

J.R yelled furiously, but sounded more fearful than angry, as he backed up towards the fireplace all the while staring at the woman who just entered his house.

"Jr..." Dixie whispered with tears in her eyes. This was her son; she knew it from the second she laid eyes on him. But she was speechless; she didn't know what to say to him. She hadn't been a part of his life for years; he had mourned and grieved for her for so long. She didn't know what to tell him to make it all okay.

"J.R! Stop yelling, you're making Mom upset."

"No Kate, listen to me please. That….this is not who you think she…How could you?"

JR yelled at Dixie.

"How could you dupe my little sister like this? She's just a kid! She doesn't know any better! She never met her mom! Of course she'd believe you. But. How could you possibly let Hayward talk you into doing this? How much did he pay you do come and wreck our lives and make us all think...My God. He must've spent a fortune on your plastic surgery, he probably didn't want to make the same mistake he did with Di. You must be some total stranger he met in Asia or wherever, Damnit! Just leave right now! My mother is dead, you hear me!"

"JR! Will you please just shut up for a second! Let her explain, before you go making accusations and freaking out our sister! Now..."

Jamie turned to Dixie. "I don't know who you really are, and how the heck you got here. But just answer me this. Did you ever have a conversation with a man named David Hayward? Are you working for him? Did he pay you to come to Pine Valley?"

"No...No I...I have no idea who you're talking about. But I swear I'm telling you the truth. My name is Dixie, Dixie Cooney. I'm alive."

"Then prove it." Jamie said in a threatening tone.

"Daddy my truck broke I…Oh! Hi Grandma Dixie!" Little Adam said as he ran into the living room.

"Oh my…Wow you've gotten so big! How are you sunshine? You're just as handsome as your daddy, you know that?" Dixie said as she gave her grandson a hug.

"Uh huh." Little A said shyly.

"So who's your friend?" Dixie asked referring to the stuffed animal Little A was holding.

"This is Snickers!"

"Oh well Snickers is a very handsome dog you know that? Do you want to have a real puppy when you get a bit older?"

"Yeah!"

"You wanna know a secret? When your daddy and your Uncle Jamie were boys just a little older than you, they came home with a puppy; it was black and white, just like Snickers."

"Oh my God." Jamie whispered overhearing Dixie and Little A's conversation. "I remember that dog."

"Um, Little Adam, I think I smell cookies in the kitchen, why don't you go and see what Lucretia's making okay?"

J.R asked.

"Um okay."

"You go on sweetie. Save a few cookies for me okay!"

"Okay!" Little A said happily as he ran into the kitchen. Even though J.R didn't talk about his grandma much anymore, Little A remembered the day when he was upstairs playing with Jamie, Dixie, Tad and Kate.

He hoped that now that Dixie was home they'd be able to do that more often. Hopefully he could see Kate more too now. Maybe Dixie could even convince Daddy and Whitney to get him a real puppy.

"Look, J.R... I...I remember that dog."

"Jamie I..."

"No, wait." Jamie said as he cut J.R off. He thought he knew a way to figure this all out. This could be the real deal.

"Do...do you guys remember this one day when there was this huge blackout all over Pine Valley. Do you remember how I asked J.R to come over to, my dad's house, and he ended up staying over for the night?"

"Yes, yes I do.." Dixie said vaguely remembering that night.

"Um, I came over with J.R and you guys were begging for us to stay the night. And then after you guys went to go play. I got into this contest with your dad Jamie, with Tad. He bet me that I.I couldn't tie a Windsor knot. We used this tie that you guys had given him for a gift, it had...a big fish on the front of it!"

"Oh my God. My dad still has that tie." Jamie said laughing, and then he came to the realization that this wasn't some bizarre coincidence, wasn't one of David's twisted schemes. He was certain Dixie was alive and well and sitting right in front off him.

"Dixie would be the only one that could know something like that. Holy cow. I. It's gotta be..." Jamie whispered to himself.

"I..I can't. No, it can't be true. No!" J.R insisted.

"Okay fine J.R. Then you ask her something. Something only Dixie would remember about you."

"Do you remember when I was a kid, and I had to get up on stage for a recital...I.."

"Oh God. Yes! You were in a Christmas play, you had to play an angel, and you had to sing and you…got stage fright, I knew I had to do something to help you, you looked so scared...so I stood up in the audience, and.. I helped you finish your song."

"Oh God..Mom?"

Dixie started crying at the memories and reached out and took JR's hand in hers, and then she looked back at her sons face and wiped his tears away.

"But…It can't be. I was there! I found you lying on the floor right over there. We took you to the hospital.

They told us you didn't have much time left, I stayed with you as long as I could and then they told me I had to leave. Then Joe came back and said that you had died! The nurse she handed me your star necklace. I…I went to yours and Babe's funeral Mom! How did you..."

Jr. tried to keep asking questions but just broke down in tears as Dixie held him close, but didn't know how to tell her son the truth about where she had been all those years.

"Oh my God. It's a miracle." Jamie said with a smile and tears in his eyes as he sat down on the couch and hugged Dixie. He still couldn't believe it, and felt happier than he had in ages, but he was still confused. He wanted to know how Dixie had come back, and why she was gone all that time if she was alive and well. He needed answers.

"But how? How did this happen. I."

"Jamie, my mom got taken away by a bad man, like the bad man took me away from you guys." Kate chimed in.

"Wait, but how? Who did this to you Mom?"

"Here. I'll explain everything..." Dixie said as she summarized the past 4 years to Jamie and J.R.

"Oh my God.. I can't believe it!" J.R said after he heard the whole story. "My God Mom, I'm. I'm so sorry for..."

"No, no baby don't…don't apologize for a thing. You hear me."

"What did that bastard do to you?"

"I...I woke up in Kevin's car and I couldn't remember a thing about myself, my family. He convinced me that my name was Misty, and he recruited me."

"Wait. This Kevin. Is that the same Kevin who was with Di?" Jamie asked curiously.

"Yes. His name was Kevin Sturgess."

"Oh my God. My mother was in the mob!"

J.R said completely shocked.

"Yeah well, I'm trying to block all that out." Dixie said sounding ashamed. "And I'd appreciate for this to kinda stay hidden, alright?"

"No, don't…don't worry Mom. Nobody needs to know, even though it would make people think twice before messing around with you ever again."

J.R joked.

"But, does anyone else know, that you're back?" Jamie asked.

"Well, everyone who was at the memorial service at the park saw me, thank your sister for that one!" Dixie said with a smile at her daughter.

"Oh my God. Does Tad know about..." J.R wondered.

"No, how could he. He's too busy with Krystal." Jamie said bitterly.

"Wait. Did you just say Krystal?"

"Yes. Whoa, Dixie what's wrong?" Jamie asked with concern as saw Dixie's expression turn from confused to completely infuriated.

"Krystal Carey I'm assuming." Dixie asked angrily.

"Yeah, the one and only KWAK currently residing in Pine Valley."

"What's a KWAK?" Jamie asked.

"Krystal with a K. Remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Mommy, why are you so upset. Do you hate Krystal too?"

"Kate!" J.R laughed surprised at his sister's attitude.

"What? I don't have to like her!"

"Kate, you shouldn't talk like that about anyone young lady. You understand?" Dixie scolded gently trying to keep her composure around her daughter.

"Yeah I guess."

"Um, Kate. Why don't you go and see how Little A is doing?' J.R said as Kate walked off into the kitchen.

"I could tell you didn't want her to hear this."

"That woman, she lives here? In Pine Valley?" Dixie said with unmistakenable anger in her voice.

"Uh huh, Look Mom I know you and Krystal were never the best of friends but why are you so freaked out about her now? I mean you haven't been here for the past four years! How come you have this sudden hatred for her? Of anything I thought you'd be more upset with the crap she pulled the first time you came back."

"Look J.R. Things are way different now, then they were back then, as far as Krystal and I are concerned."

"Well you may feel differently about her now, but nowadays anything involving Krystal is a rerun of her from eight years ago. While you've been gone she's managed to pull quite a few of her same stunts, except with different parties involved. Let's just say some people got a much needed dose of karma." J.R said with a look at Jamie, referring to the Charlotte/Jenny incident.

"What are you talking about?"

"No, its, its nothing Dixie really." Jamie cut in.

"But J.R is right about one thing, Krystal managed to get a spot right back in a certain someone's heart real quick." Jamie said bitterly, muttering to himself.

"What was that Jamie?"

"Nothing Mom, he's just.. Will you!" J.R whispered as he nudged Jamie, thinking his mom didn't need to hear this right now.

"Hey, what the…oh." Jamie said realizing his mistake.

"Wow. Yeah, Ignore me." Jamie said as J.R let out a sigh of relief.

"Ignore what?" Kate asked as she walked back in with a cookie.

"It's nothing Kate."

"Oh. Okay. So, if you guys are done talking, Mommy can we go and crash Krystal and Daddy's wedding now?" Kate asked innocently.

"Oh God no." Dixie thought to herself. "C'mon think of something to tell her before you explode."

"Um actually, Kate. We're gonna just be a few minutes more, alright baby. Just go play with Little A and I'll come and find ya in a bit." Dixie said trying to calm down a bit.

"But I..." Kate protested as Winifred took her hand to get her out of the living room.

"Was it something I said?" Kate asked Winifred as they went into the foyer.

"Lord, I never thought I'd say this, but please, someone tell me that my daughter is lying to me."

"Mom I..." J.R said nervously.

"Oh God no."

"Now Mom just listen, okay. Don't make this into a bigger issue than it is."

"No J.R it is an issue don't you understand that!" Dixie said with a voice full of hurt.

"Krystal Carey is a woman who wanted to keep me away from everyone I cared about, just for her own sick reasons! She wanted me gone for good! And Tad, TAD is marrying her! Marrying someone determined to destroy my life and destroy our family! Her goal was to hurt me and everyone I cared about J.R! If he… If Tad is marrying her, then he most definitely is not the man that I remembered, not at all."

Dixie said with tears in her eyes as she came to the realization, that the wonderful memories she had been building up in her head, and the wonderful man she had been trying so hard to remember, was all set to walk down the aisle with someone who had destroyed her life and the life of her children. Her goal of figuring out the truth was now done, except the truth was a shocking and awful reality she knew she could never accept or get past. All she felt was completely overwhelmed, she had to get out of here now.

"Kate!" Dixie yelled from the living room. "C'mon baby we have to go."

"Mom no! You're not going anyplace. We just got you back, you're' home, and..."

"I...I know sunshine, but I can't. I can't stay. I need to figure some stuff out."

"But..."

"I'll see you soon, tell Little A I said goodbye." Dixie said with a sob as she gave J.R a hug, and ran out of the mansion in tears.

"Mom!" J.R went to run after her but nearly tripped over Kate.

"It's okay J.R...I'll make sure Mommy's okay. Bye!" Kate said as she ran outside.

"Not so fast." J.R said as he went to get his coat with Jamie by his side.

"Daddy! Uncle Jamie! Wait!" Little A yelled as he ran into the foyer.

"What's wrong A?" J.R asked in a panic.

"It's Grandpa, he promised me I could go to work with him today and he's already gone without me! He's not in the house."

"Alright son, just calm down okay? I'll call Grandpa on his cell." J.R said as he took out his phone.

"C'mon Dad. Pick up. No way in hell I'm gonna let you break a promise to my son."

"Um, Mr. Martin? Is Mr. Chandler busy?" Winifred asked nervously.

"No it's alright Winifred. What's wrong?" Jamie asked

"Um well, day before yesterday Mr. Chandler gave me permission that I could use the Chandler jet to fly to Europe with Miss Whitney for a vacation. Miss Whitney told Mr. Chandler we needed a weekend to 'hit the shops'" Winifred laughed nervously.

"Yes and..."

"Well, I called to confirm with the pilot and the jet's already in use. But Mr. Chandler didn't say he had any major plans, and I was, just kinda concerned?"

"Oh well I..."

"Oh my God!" J.R said sounding stunned as he hung up the cell phone.

"J.R what is it?"

"My father that's what. I just got a voicemail from him. He's flying down to Maryland to crash Tad and Krystal's wedding tonight."

"What? But I thought..." Jamie said with confusion

"My dad made a major mistake."

J.R said with amazement.

"They had to run a test on Jenny when she got taken to the hospital after she was with Janet, and one of the nurses was requested to run a DNA test to make sure she didn't have any other conditions. Well my dad found out the results and got the shock of his life. Jenny is, really baby Charlotte."

"Oh my God, Adam's the father after all?"

"Yup. Ain't that something?"

"So, my dad! Oh my God he'll be crushed beyond belief! What are we gonna do!"

"Well. The truth will come out soon enough, I just tried calling Tad, Krystal, my dad, their phones don't get service out there, and I don't even know where they're staying. And if the jet left this morning my dad is probably in Maryland as we speak."

"So, what we just stand by and wait for my dad's world to come crashing down? I don't think so."

"Look James! We don't have a choice! They're gonna find out the truth and there's not a damn thing we can do about it. And right now I've got a bigger priority, remember my mother!"

"You're…you're right. Besides, even if my dad's world implodes, at least now we've got someone back to make it right again for him."

"Right. C'mon A lets go find Grandma."


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Honeymoon Suite-Maryland

"Knock knock. Delivery from the soon to be husband of Miss Krystal Carey."

Tad said with a smile as he knocked on the hotel room door with a present for Krystal. He had been feeling like he still owed her more of an apology after the fight they had gotten into the other night. They had gone to the inevitable dinner with the family and dropped the bomb about the elopement. They received the expected reaction, nobody was thrilled by any stretch of the imagination, and even though from Tad's view everyone seemed to have done their best to accept it, Krystal still felt strange vibes from everyone at the table. After the dinner she made this quite clear during a long rant, and yet again brought up Dixie and that same metaphorical pedestal. Soon Tad had had enough, especially with Krystal harboring this much resentment to the former love of his life, who Tad still found himself missing daily, and found himself yelling right back at her, saying that she made the decision to elope and now was suffering the consequences. He also said how she was being completely ungrateful, that he had bent over backward to please her and she didn't care at all. Then he dug his heels in all the more, by saying how he married Dixie three times, and had less problems with all three of those ceremonies combined, then just getting Krystal down the aisle once. At this Krystal was all set to walk out on the engagement completely, and Tad was happy to see her go, until she grabbed Jenny and the diaper bag. Then all Tad saw was his nightmare coming true, he couldn't go through losing another daughter.

He had lost all of Kate's early years and couldn't bear to lose that with Jenny, not to mention he didn't want lose Jenny's mother either, despite the costs to his overall sanity and well being by staying with her. He took Krystal aside, apologized like there was no tomorrow, and after a great deal of begging, convinced her this wasn't a mistake, and they had to do this for their daughter's sake. Soon after, Krystal relented and the elopement was still as scheduled. But even after all the apologies and all the compromise, Tad still felt like something was off. He felt like he was practically forcing Krystal to walk down the aisle with him, and that this was only taking place for Jenny's sake, not because they really felt in love. However, Tad would do anything for his children, and believed he and Krystal could find a way to make it work.

"Tad?" Krystal said from the other side of the door.

"Yes the one and only Thaddeus J. at your service. Can you let me in?"

"Um, can you, hold on just a sec?"

"No can do sweetheart, I'm coming in."

"No! Tad I..Oh no."

"What the devil is, oh. Why hello Tad. Long time no see."

"What the hell is going on?"

Tad said painfully, even though he was already certain what had taken place, judging from the wrinkled bed sheets and the tall white haired man, scotch in hand standing next to Krystal in a robe.

"Tad I...I can explain." Krystal said panicked.

"No. Don't. Really. I need no clarification."

"But..."

"No! Look I may not be an outstanding detective but I can assure you I have a pretty good idea what's taken place."

"Actually Tad, while you may know what, has taken place. I'm not sure if you are aware of, the surrounding circumstances."

"You know Adam I'm actually a bit confused there. I mean, what it was two years ago since World War 3. I just assumed you guys had your feeling about each other pretty well established by now, considering oh, I don't know, this scum who you've decided to hit the sheets not so long ago was in the process of selling our daughter on the black market!"

"Oh Krystal come now, don't tell me this poor sap thinks our Lottie is still his precious Jenny Colby Carey." Adam said smugly.

"Oh Lord." Krystal said nervously.

"Krystal, what is this delusional drunk talking about?"

"Cold hard facts Martin, in the form of a DNA test. Your little Jenny is a Chandler through and through, and I couldn't be happier. Could I sweetheart?" Adam said adoringly at Krystal as he held Charlotte. Meanwhile Krystal just stared at the shaken heartbroken man holding the DNA test with anger and sorrow in his eyes.

"Tad. Say something please. I...I'm so sorry...I..."

But Tad couldn't even put a logical sentence together and just held up his hand telling Krystal her sentiment and apologies meant nothing, and then proceeded to throw the vase full of flowers he bought against the wall.

"Oh Tad..." Krystal said with tears in her eyes.

"Have a nice life. I'll be praying each night for your daughter, that despite her DNA she doesn't turn out to be a damn thing like either of her parents."

Tad said bitterly as he slammed the door and angrily walked down the hallway back to his car. As he got to the parking lot and got in his car, he looked up and saw a clouded over sky, with a single star off in the distance.

"Wow Dix, I bet you're looking down at me with that I told you so look in your eyes. All my Tad the Cad years are coming back to bite me in the butt right sweetheart? Was this how you felt each time I hurt you? Kinda sick to your stomach with a hole in your heart? When you lost Bess, and when Kate was taken, did you feel the same way I do now? Did that bastard Adam Chandler feel like this when Jenny was mine? Did I go too far? Did I deserve all this hell? I mean when I found Kate, when Jenny was mine, I never thought I'd have to feel like this again. I thought all that was behind me you know? But now Kate can barely even stand to look at me, and the reason why I've been so terrible to her, is in bed lying next to Adam. God Dix. I miss you so much, I'm so sorry." Tad said to himself with his head in his hands as he broke down and sobbed in the front seat. After a few minutes Tad realized it was 9:30 at night. But he knew he was in no condition to drive, all he wanted to do was curl up in his car and not wake up again. Knowing that wasn't an option he drove along the highway until he reached what looked like a lodge or an inn. After he checked in he realized he wasn't gonna make it home tonight.

"I gotta call home." Tad said to himself as he whipped out his phone and left a message at Wildwind.

"Um..Hey Julia. There's been a bit of a change of plans and the elopement is off, definitely off. But I'm in no condition to head home right now, physically I'm fine, but I've got the feeling like I was just hit with a ton of bricks.

Anyways, I'll be home in a few days. I just have to clear my head. And Kate. If you're there sweetheart, I just want to tell you how sorry I am. It's my job to treat you like the angel you are and I've totally let you down kiddo. I'm so sorry baby. I'll be home in a few days and then it'll be just me and you, like the old days. I promise you that pal. Okay so this machine's gonna cut me off any second so I'm gonna go. Don't worry I'm fine. Really. Ok. Bye for real now."


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Yacht Club

"Well hey there stranger! Fancy seeing you here."

"Oh dear, I was just about to sit down and eat this wonderful lunch, and now you've come and ruined it all." Palmer said sounding agitated.

"Oh stop that you. This visit is purely business, no pleasure whatsoever, believe me."

Opal said matter of factly.

"Alright, fine. What matter of business requires my expertise?"

"Actually it's going to take a joint effort, from both of us."

"What will?"

"Oh just the certain dilemma concerning a certain young couple we both know and love."

"Opal honestly, when will you give it a rest? They aren't children anymore! They are both very smart adults who should just take care of themselves."

"Oh now since when has anything, actually anyone, stopped Palmer Cortlandt from doing anything? Gosh it's almost as if Ruth was standing two feet from ya."

"Well I..." Palmer said as he looked over Opal's shoulder and saw Joe and Ruth heading towards the exit.

"Alright now we can talk."

"Why you little..."

"Now aren't you glad I'm working on this with you? You could have just spoiled everything!"

"Well I'm glad I have big strong Palmer to look out for me." Opal said with a smile.

"Oh now you stop that this minute! We aren't going to start being anything more than civil towards each other just because we're allies with a common goal. Now can we please get back to the task at hand?"

"Oh alright. Well I came up in my pretty little head a perfect idea to cage those two lovebirds while keepin out the fox."

"Translation?"

"Get Tad and Dixie together and get rid of the other woman. Keep up!"

"Does this said trap involve locking them in a shed? I remember that not exactly going the way we planned."

"No. We're gonna have a party for Tad and Krystal with the whole town and invite Dixie and my little grandbaby to give 'em all a shock of a lifetime."

"Perfect. And while we're at it let's get another fox taken care of, or at least get his tail in a twist. I propose we have this little gathering at Chandler Mansion. Last I heard Adam had flown out of town, and the location is, suitable." Palmer said with a smug grin.

"Perfect. I'll go and make some phone calls; this will be the social event of the century!" Opal said happily as she walked out of the Yacht Club, leaving Palmer sipping his coffee happily plotting his next move.

Honeymoon Suite

"Adam! Stop looking at me like that!"

"Like I'm missing my wife terribly even though she's only walked across the room? Because if that's the case I won't stop looking like this until you are back by my side."

"I'll be back in a minute! You just sit there and coo over our baby doll until I'm done with this phone call."

"Oh fine." Adam said grumpily as he peeked into Charlotte's crib. As her eyes opened up Adam realized they were an odd shade of green. Nothing like his or Krystal's eyes. "Hmm, well at least she doesn't have Martin's eyes, do you sweetie?" Adam said as he picked Jenny up out of her crib.

"Hmm. What's Opal doing calling me?" Krystal asked curiously as she dialed her voicemail.

"Hey sugar. Just thought I'd extend a little invitation to a gatherin' at the Chandler Mansion courtesy of J.R. We were hoping to make it pretty informal, just a few close friends and the family of course. Just pop by when y'all get back in our neck of the woods and we'll have a ball. My love to Tad by the way sugar. Hope your little elopement was a happy one. Okey dokey. Bye now."

"Oh dear." Krystal said feeling guilty all over again. She still felt awful for what she had put Tad through, but was completely thrown when Adam came to her room begging forgiveness. He was the love of her life and she just couldn't stay married to a man she didn't love.

"Sweetheart? What's wrong?"

Adam asked with concern seeing the expression on Krystal's face.

"Oh its, its nothing. It's just, that son of yours decided to throw a wedding shower."

"Oh really."

"It was supposed to be for me and Tad. Opal just called. The whole town is gonna be at the mansion when we get home, expecting me with someone else on my arm."

"Well listen darling. This way, the whole town will know right away about us. And what are they gonna do to stop it if they don't approve. The party will be fine, I promise you that."

"Okay. I believe you. Well I think we should start packing up everything, we gotta go home sometime."

"If you insist." Adam said sweetly as he began to pack their suitcases.

Chandler Mansion

"So, does anyone have any idea why we're all invited to this little party tonight, because we sure as hell have no idea why we're here? Do we Spikey?"

Kendall asked the 3 year old boy sitting on her lap in the midst of a dinner party taking place in the Chandler mansion living room.

"Hmm, well I have a pretty good idea it had something to do with someone's best gal-pal, eh Mom?"

Zach said smugly to Erica, who was holding her daughter's baby daughter Amelia in her arms.

"Zach, I was just asked by Opal to show up for a small gathering in honor of Tad's wedding. I had no idea it would be here, of all places."

"But Erica, you do realize that Tad is engaged to Krystal Carey right?" Ryan asked, wondering why Erica was even attending this in the first place.

"Yeah Erica, I know you and Krystal aren't exactly the best of friends." Annie said.

"Yeah Erica. Something you're not telling us?" Di chimed in with Aidan by her side.

"Well Annie I..."

"What Erica means to say, is that she is here simply to support Tad."

"Thank you Brooke."

"Actually she'll be supporting Tad while she's with his brother. When she moves on to her next man I have a feeling we won't be seeing much of her at future Martin affairs."

Brooke said smugly.

"Oh very funny Brooke. I have a feeling you'll be trying to win Tad over the entire evening. You obviously aren't satisfied enough with the men from my past. I don't see Jackson on your arm, and I have to say I'm surprised you're stooping that low to luring Krystal's men away from her. At least you were formerly stealing from a woman with a more refined taste."

"Actually Erica, Jack and I are doing just fine, and I didn't actually need to steal anyone this time, you did all the work for poor little me. Will you excuse me for a moment?" Brooke said with a smirk as she walked away.

"Gladly. Honestly where is Opal? She's the only reason I'm here anyways." Erica pouted.

"Um, well I heard, I mean the reason Marion and, and I came, was because Opal told us, to expect a big surprise, besides Tad and Krystal getting married." Stuart said.

"Well that sounds interesting. But I hope whatever they have planned happens quickly, I have to get back to the hospital."

Jeff said as he looked at his watch.

"Well hello everybody." Kate said with a shy smile.

"Why hello you, long time no see. How's life treating you kid?"

"Fine Mr. Slater, I mean Zach. Hi Mrs. Slater. How's Spike and Amelia?"

"Oh they're just fine Kate thank you." Kendall said proudly.

"Hey Kate, sorry Emma couldn't come with us tonight."

Ryan said.

"Oh it's fine."

"We'll schedule a play date for you girls soon okay." Annie said.

"Okay!"

"You know Kate, your mom would be so proud of you." Zach said sadly.

"I know."

"Oh Kate. It must be nice having your dad talk about your mom so much." Erica said.

"Actually she..." Kate said as she looked over her shoulder.

"She tells me that all the time!"

"You're absolutely right baby." Dixie said proudly as she walked into the living room much to everyone's shock.

"Oh my God." Kendall said.

"It...It can't be..."

"I thought she..." Annie stuttered

"I know, I thought so too!" Ryan cut in.

"Now isn't that something." Stuart said happily.

Soon Zach walked over and couldn't believe his eyes.

"I...I thought that you had..."

"I know. Believe me. I know."

Dixie said as she gave Zach a hug, and proceeded to explain the past four years to her friends.

"Don't worry I don't need you to hide me this time!" She said making Zach laugh.

"Well we know that it's definitely her. All over Zach." Erica said.

"What was that Erica?"

"Oh it, it was nothing. I just can't believe it, that you've managed to beat death twice; it's quite an accomplishment Dixie. Um, I hate to ask this here, but would you consider an appearance on New Beginnings? It would be the perfect story for the end of sweeps."

"Um well I..."

"Oh perfect. Don't worry. I'll take care of everything." Erica said as she went to call her agent.

"Wow, she sure hasn't settled down any." Dixie said with amazement as Jack came over and gave her a hug.

"Wow Dixie. It's, wow. It's great to see you." Jack said sounding totally shocked.

"It's great to see you too Jack."

'Hey, easy! He's mine!" Brooke said with a smile as she came back with their coats.

"See you later guys. Give our best to Tad when you see him."

"Actually we're gonna take off too. It's past their bedtimes!" Annie said as she picked up Spike.

"It's nice to see you back again Dixie, Kate needs her mommy."

"Thanks Annie."

"Yeah Dixie. Gosh, it's been too long; you know our girls are attached at the hip. Kate's a great kid."

"Well would you expect anything less?" Dixie said with a smile.

"We'll see ya soon."

"Yeah I think we've gotta hit the road too, this little one is out!"

"Oh you guys." Dixie said with a smile as she saw the sleeping little girl in Kendall's arms. "Amelia is just beautiful and I barely recognized little Spike there! He's gotten so big!"

"Yeah well, you can come around and see them whenever you like, and bring Kate on over too."

"I will. Thank you Kendall."

"Bye Dixie Cooney." Zach said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Wow. Honey, I'm so glad I can say that name again."

"Bye Zach."

Dixie said as she closed the door feeling exhausted. She wasn't expecting this much of a party for her, and was curious and a little depressed that the "special guest" hadn't shown up yet.

"Kate? Sweetie c'mon, time for us to head home."

"But Mom I..."

"Shh. No buts. It's getting late. I'm gonna go say bye to Little A and then we'll go."

Dixie was just about to go upstairs when she heard someone knock at the door and saw her grandson run from the kitchen to let them in.

"Grandma! I missed you so much!" A said as he gave Krystal a hug.

"Well hey there you little peanut. I missed you too."

"Hi KWAK, um, I mean Krystal. How was your trip?"

"Just, fine Kate." Krystal said nervously.

"So is my daddy out getting the car?"

"Um well."

Krystal said as she nervously looked over her shoulder wondering what was taking Adam so long.

"I'll just go outside and see him then."

"Um actually Kate." Krystal said blocking the little girls exit. "Why don't we go on inside."

"I'll just be a second; I just wanna see my dad. Daddy? You out here?" Kate asked as she looked outside and didn't see Tad anyplace.

"Um, Krystal? Where's my dad?"

Kate asked sounding confused and impatient.

"Well I..."

"Why aren't you answering me? Why do you look so nervous? Did something happen to him? Daddy! Daddy where are you?"

Kate yelled as she walked outside.

"Kate? Baby what's wrong? I heard you yelling." Dixie said as she came down the stairs and to her shock saw Krystal standing in the foyer.

"You..."

"What…who? Oh my Lord."

Krystal choked out as she turned pale and backed towards the door.

"Surprised?"

"I...I um..."

"What's wrong Krystal? Cat got your tongue?"

"I. No, it's not. It can't be."

"What, not happy to see me? Bet you weren't expecting me as a wedding crasher, hmm?"

"Dixie I..."

"No, I'll talk for now. Okay?. Guess your little plan didn't as smoothly as you wanted, did it Ms Carey?

You're probably wishing you'd just let me die in that hospital all those years ago. Instead of going through all that trouble with the mob and breakin all those laws. What a wasted effort! Your little scheme totally came back and blew up in your face didn't it? All that time devoted to keeping me dead, so you could go and take over this whole damn town and get your selfish little kicks watching my family suffer? Is that what you wanted? 'Cause you wanna know a little secret?

Karma's a big, scary, silly bitch, and the only person who's gonna be suffering when all's said and done is you." Dixie said triumphantly knowing she'd taken Krystal's ego down a few notches.

"Now look I..."

Krystal was about to speak but was cut off when Adam entered the house with Kate not too far behind him.

"How's my lovely wife?" Adam said as he came and gave Krystal a kiss, not aware of Dixie hiding in the living room.

"Um, I."

"Excuse me?" Kate interrupted.

"Krystal, why is Kate Martin standing in our foyer?"

"She was here for that party, Adam." Krystal said with frustration as she nervously smoothed her hair.

"Krystal, why is Mr. Frosty with you? Why can't I find my dad?"

Kate said with impatience.

"Well Kate, your father isn't with Krystal, because I am. Krystal and I are married."

"What!"

Kate said with shock.

"But I? Well where's my dad then? If he's not with you then where..."

"I'm sorry Kate I haven't seen that father of yours since two days ago. Now will you excuse me ladies."

Adam said as he walked upstairs.

"Okay Miss Krystal. Forget it, you obviously don't know where my dad is, so you must not care about him at all." Kate said angrily as she ran outside, causing Dixie to come out of hiding to deal with what had upset her daughter, and proceeded to give Krystal a menacing look.

"You better not so much as look, at my daughter ever again. You Carey girls may not give up without a fight, but they haven't even come close to seeing what Cooney women are capable of. For your sake, you better pray it'll never happen."

Dixie threatened as she walked out the door.

"Actually Krystal we're all quite curious about Tad also."

Di said as she walked into the foyer, accompanied by Aidan, Jeff, Ruth, Joe, Opal, Palmer, Julia and Erica.

"Um, I..."

"Krystal, is there something you're not telling us?" Palmer asked with confusion.

"Yes sugar, what is goin on? Where is that son of mine at?"

Opal said with concern.

"I have a theory, and I don't think you all are gonna like it. Check out her ring finger" Aidan said as he figured out what had actually happened in Maryland.

"That isn't the ring Tad wanted to use. He showed me the one he wanted to give you." Ruth said.

"And Tad most definitely could not afford this." Joe said causing Krystal to conceal her wedding ring.

"Why you, you didn't go through with it did you? You crawled right on back to, to that snake Adam. You didn't marry Tad at all." Palmer accused.

"Well wait, if she didn't, then there must've been a reason?" Ruth said.

"And I think I know what that reason is." Julia said as she gestured to Charlotte's diaper bag.

"The initials on that bag are CC, not JCCM, and it looks pretty expensive if I do say so myself. Not in Tad's price range by any means."

"So are you saying, that you didn't only leave my son at the altar, but that your baby isn't even our granddaughter!"

Ruth asked hoping this was all a mistake.

"I wouldn't put it past her Ruth, not one bit." Julia said angrily and Erica nodded in agreement, with a smirk across her face knowing her biggest enemy was about to be torn to shreds.

"You let her have it everyone; she deserves every bit, of all the nerve to do this to Tad of all people."

"My brother deserved better than this." Jeff said angrily as he walked out with Erica.

Krystal looked around desperately for a friendly face, and gave Di a pleading glance hoping her friend would remember everything she had done to this family before and stick up for her.

"Don't even go there Krystal." Di said bitterly.

"I know what it's like to do terrible things to this family, to make mistakes, to be selfish. I've been there before. But I learned from those mistakes Krystal. I know that I would never pull the same crap I did once before and risk hurting everyone again. I also know that I do my damndest, to hang on to the people that I care about, that care about me, not leave them in the dust when something better comes along."

"Di, I..."

"Forget it, even if I felt sympathy towards you now, you lost me as a friend the day you planned a wedding on the day I thought I lost both my siblings. We're done Krystal." Di said matter of factly.

"Oh we're not done yet." Opal said angrily with tears in her eyes.

"How could you? You pathetic excuse for a human being! We treated you like family, we welcomed you with open arms despite everything that you and your precious Babe have done to this family and now, you have the nerve to tell me, that you left, my boy at the altar, and that that sweet little baby isn't even his! The child that I gave you permission to name after my precious daughter, my Jenny!

You are nothing but a gold digging little tramp. To think I considered you to be my daughter in law. You can go to hell."

Opal said angrily as she gave Krystal a huge slap on the cheek, and left the mansion in tears.

Then Palmer proceeded to dig through Charlotte's baby bag, and found the silver rattle with Jenny's name engraved.

"To think I actually convinced Opal to give this to you. Must've been back when I felt sorry for you, when I thought you were a friend. You made me actually feel sorry for Tad Martin." Palmer said as he walked out with the rest of the angered crowd leaving Krystal alone in the foyer with Charlotte.

"Well peanut, looks like it's just me, you, and your daddy now. Let's go on and see him alright?"

Krystal said with tears in her eyes as she walked into the living room.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

J.R asked as he and Jamie walked into the Chandler mansion.

"Well I guess that surprise party didn't go exactly as planned."

"Yeah, I think the surprise was on everyone but my dad and Krystal. Hey, do you think that they know about Mom yet?"

"I don't know. I mean we saw Kate and Dixie driving back to their place awhile ago. Maybe Adam and Krystal saw them when they got back and maybe they didn't."

"I'm guessing no, I'd figure my dad would still be giving her the third degree if they'd seen each other. Hey, you alright?"

"Not really J.R, I'm worried about my dad. I haven't been able to get in touch with him in days, and that message he left at Wildwind didn't sound really reassuring."

"Well chances are pretty good his life was smashed to bits the night he left that message courtesy of KWAK and my dad. He probably wanted to just clear his head a bit."

"Yeah I guess. So, where is everybody? I saw Adam and Krystal's car in the driveway."

"Hang on; I'll go check his study."

"Daddy!" Little A said with excitement as he ran in the foyer.

"Hey little man! So, where's your grandpa at?"

"He's in his study, and Miss Krystal went for a walk with Charlotte."

"Okay, shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Yeah I guess."

"Go on upstairs and put on your PJ's and I'll be up after I say hi to Grandpa."

"Okay, G'night Jamie!"

"G'night A. And we're off."

"Hey Dad."

"Son! I wasn't expecting you back so soon. Come have a scotch, or rather watch me enjoy one. Tonight's a night for celebration."

"It sure is. So, did you finish interrogating my mother for the night?"

"What? I think even the smell of scotch must make you tipsy!"

"Dad, I'm serious. You didn't see Mom yet?"

"Now son, as much as it pains me to say this, your mother is dead. She has been for years. Where is this coming from? Have you been drinking?"

"Adam, I can assure you, J.R is clean sober. Dixie is alive."

"But I...I don't believe it. No, you're all delusional."

"Actually there's someone else who's slightly more delusional, your wife for thinking she could have actually pulled this crap off."

"Now listen to me Martin. I know that your father was on the bad end of this deal but I won't have you making any comments about my wife under my roof! You understand?"

"Dad, listen to me. My mother is alive; she's here, in Pine Valley, staying at the Valley Inn with Kate. I swear it. If you don't believe me call over there and ask for her. Or better yet call everyone who came to the party here tonight, they've all seen her."

Suddenly J.R was interrupted by the phone ringing, and he and Jamie left to say goodnight to Little Adam.

"Hello?"

"Oh Adam, its Erica."

"What do you want?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you could tell me how I could get in touch with Dixie to arrange some details with her appearance on New Beginnings."

"Now, wait a minute. Erica, are you telling me the truth?"

"Adam why would I be lying to you about something like this. Now it's late and I'm tired. Do you have Dixie's room number at the Valley Inn or not?"

"Now you're sure this is really Dixie we're talking about? Do you swear it?"

"Honestly Adam, yes Dixie Martin in all her glory was at your party tonight, I'd figure that wife of yours would have mentioned it to you at some point, or maybe she just wanted to keep this tidbit of information to herself for her own selfish purposes."

"Um, ignoring that comment let me ask you, just out of curiosity, what is Dixie's segment on your show going to consist of?

"Oh all the dramatics concerning her untimely deaths, and her unusual resurrections, we may even try and get Krystal to appear as well, explain her role in the situation, this time around at least."

"How is my wife involved in this at all?"

At this Erica went on to explain everything that had happened at the party, from Dixie's story to Krystal's role in the events.

"Does that clear things up any for you Adam?"

"Yes. Yes it does. Thank you so much Erica."

"Good night Adam."

"So, do you still think I'm plastered Dad?" J.R asked as he walked into the study.

"Well I..."

"You know, I actually think that you were the one plastered when you and Krystal eloped. I mean the second time around." Jamie chimed in.

"Considering how her motives of keeping Dixie dead to the world were purely to get revenge on your son and to win back my father in the process."

"I..I still don't believe it."

"Um, excuse me Mr. Chandler?"

"Yes Winifred?"

"Um sir, there's a call for you, someone from a genetics laboratory?"

"What in the…Hello?"

After about five minutes, a very angry, very broken Adam Chandler hung up the phone and used a few choice expletives, having just found out Charlotte's unusual eye color was not simply a strange coincidence, due to Charlotte's father actually being a certain trucker named Randy from their Christmas party.

"What do you think that call was all about James? Did you see the look on my dad's face? Last time I saw that face was, well to avoid gory details, not exactly one of my shining moments."

"I have a pretty good feeling; a genetics lab would never call at 11:00 at night unless there was a major, screw-up."

"You don't think that, Oh my God."

J.R said completely stunned as he saw his father taking all of Krystal and her daughter's luggage and throwing it out the front door, ran back into his study for about ten minutes, then ran upstairs and locked the bedroom door behind him.

"Well, I guess we know what that call was about."

"Yeah, and I so wouldn't wanna be in Krystal's shoes right about now."

J.R said as he picked up a printout from the computer in the study.

"What's that?"

"It's a note, with a plane ticket enclosed."

"What's it say?"

"Sign these divorce papers. Take this ticket, and to save your pathetic skin fly off with Randy's spawn to be with your baby doll. Stay the hell away from this town; you've officially plagued the life of every Pine Valley citizen worth caring about, for way too long already.

-Adam Chandler."

"Wow, well. What a night!"

"Yup, c'mon, let's go do some major damage control."


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter.38

Lodge

"So Mr. Martin, I trust your stay here was pleasurable?"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far, but I'll admit, it was a nice place to clear my head and kinda get my priorities straightened out."

"Alright, well your car's right out front. Have a safe trip home."

"Have a good night." Tad said with a trace of a smile as he picked up his bag and walked out to his car.

It had been almost a week since he had left Pine Valley, and once he stopped feeling heartsick his homesickness began to set in. Not to mention he felt an incredible sense of guilt hanging over his head, this would ensure Kate feeling like a princess on her birthday but would also make his credit card collapse of exhaustion.

But it was all worth it.

He knew he owed his daughter a hell of a lot more than a shopping spree in order to make up for all he had put her through the past months. He should've known Kate had inherited her mother's "I told you so" gene, along with her uncanny ability to always figure out the truth and always being right.

Therefore he should've known right off the bat not to dive right into a relationship with Krystal. Kate's reaction to their engagement alone should've been enough for him to end it right there. But, he didn't listen and now was paying the price.

About a day or so later Tad had finally driven into some recognizable territory, and was starting to see some familiar sites. As he drove through what seemed like endless countryside, Tad soon found himself heading down memory lane.

He remembered driving in the country with Dixie what seemed like a lifetime ago, when they were hunting down Palmer and Braden Lavery. He remembered them sitting in the front seat of his car and being targeted by a bull with a romantic side, which fell head over heels for Tad's red car, and later on fell for Tad himself.

He remembered he had saved that ring the bull had given him as a parting gift, which was sitting in a desk drawer at his old house, alongside other objects varying from a fish tie, a Santa sadly lacking any pigmentation, a golf-ball washer and a cookie jar, red reindeer ears, a long gold strand of tinsel, and a black, white, and gray wool scarf.

A while later in the middle of a huge rainstorm, Tad was driving through a forest nearing the Pennsylvania state line, and saw a small hunting cabin off in the distance, triggering a huge flood of memories.

Some he wished he could have blocked out completely, such as fighting with a pimp turned stalker on a wooden bridge on his wedding day, and battling his double in the Canadian wilderness while trying to nurse a gunshot wound, and keep the love of his life from dying of hypothermia.

But some of these memories, while starting out or becoming terrible, didn't all end so badly. He recalled flying out to the middle of nowhere on a lead for Kate, and being stranded with their only hope of rescue being the ignition of a wooden shack, but all their efforts resulted in were being arrested for arson. But even though he was stuck in a cell for a few hours, he was stuck with someone who made it seem like less of a bad experience, and it all was something he could look back and smile at.

"Whoa! What the hell! Holy..." Tad swore as he came out of his daydream to a car heading right towards him.

"Oh my God..."

As he swerved to avoid the impact he found himself crashing dead on into a nearby tree, and everything faded to black.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter.39

"Oh my God...

Where…where am I..."

Tad said as he woke up and took a look around, and saw nothing but light and clouds. Suddenly he heard someone sneak up behind him.

"Well take a look around you ol' goofball! Wow your P.I skills haven't changed much!"

"Simone? Is that you?" Tad said struck dumb by the young, beautiful, brunette standing in front of him.

"In the flesh! Well, maybe not. Eh, as close as you can get to flesh up here."

"So. I'm guessing I'm in heaven."

"You got that right. So, I guess I'm here to give you the grand tour."

"I. Sorry I'm not up on the latest procedures; I'm still a bit of a newbie."

"Well okay, come with me! You know, I wasn't expecting you to come over to our neck of the woods for awhile. May I be so bold as to ask what did ya in?"

"Well, um. There was a tree, and a storm, and a car."

"Hmm, kinda got the visual now."

"Hey Tad! What's going on?"

"What I…Oh my God Erin!"

"Hey, you remember me, I'm impressed!"

"Wow, you look great."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"Hey, who's standing so close to my wife?"

"Ethan honey! Hey you gotta come say hi to Tad!"

"Well old sport. Glad you made it."

"Glad to be here. Hey, as long as the gangs all here, where's your good friend Arabella Carey?"

"What I…Erin do you know who he's talking about?"

"Can't say I do. Maybe he's still a bit out of sorts."

"But I thought..."

"Oh Tad stop being silly! Come on lets keep going."

"Okay, you're the boss."

"Actually, that's the big guy upstairs." Simone whispered with a smile.

"Oh, sorry!"

"Hey it's fine. Not to change the subject or anything, but we loved the valentines you sent us a few years back. It was really sweet."

"I thought everyone would appreciate it."

"Well you thought right! Oh hey Trevor!"

"Hey Simone, Wow, hey big guy what's goin on!"

"Hey Trev, and hey man's best friend!' Tad said as he gave Harold the dog a belly rub.

"Oh c'mon Tad you can pet Harold later. We've got some more things to catch up on." Simone said as she waved over to Gillian.

"Oh God, Jenny!" Tad said with excitement as he spotted his sister.

"Hey you! How's the world's best brother ever?"

"Just fine. God I miss you so much."

"I miss you too. We all do."

Jenny said as she gestured over to Grandma Kate watching over some babies.

"Gran!"

"Well I never...How's my favorite grandson doin?"

"Just...just fine Gran. Who are all these little ones?"

"Oh, well this perfect little girl, that's little Leora, and you'll recognize this sweet one over here. Say hi to my great-granddaughter Tad."

"Is this..."

"Uh-huh. That's little Bess."

"Oh my God. Hey you... Wow you look so much like your mom, Yes you do..." Tad whispered with tears in his eyes as he held his baby girl.

"Hey guys! What's up?"

"Oh honestly Del, you couldn't hold on just a second?" Jenny scolded.

"Hey I just thought I'd ask Tad how my family was if that's okay with you."

"Well, your sister is just fine in case you were wondering."

Tad said sounding distracted as he started wandering aimlessly through the heavens.

"Hey? What's a matter?" Jenny asked with concern.

"Nothing it's just." Tad mumbled as he kept walking around.

"Where is she..?"

Tad said to himself.

"Hey man? Why can't you answer me?"

Del said impatiently.

"Because Delbert, I figure you'd know more about the status of your family more then me. Di's fine, now if you don't mind I'd like to talk to...to a certain other relative of yours. Where's Dix at?"

"Oh my grandson always has to joke around." Gran said with a smile.

"You're so silly, you haven't changed a bit."

"What did I miss here? What's so funny?"

"Oh Tad, come now, everyone knows you have to be dead to be in heaven!" Simone joked.

"But I..." Tad said with confusion.

"No Tad, it's like this. I know who you mean and, I'm sorry but, Dixie is, not here now."

"What the, you don't mean that. Is she...I know she did some bad stuff but I never..." Tad said with panic as he looked downward.

"No! Oh God Tad, no it's not that at all!" Jenny laughed. "I mean, this is Dixie we're talking about."

"But if she's not here...or there, where is she?"

"Take a look."

Suddenly Tad looked down and saw her. He saw the love of his life sitting in a small apartment trying to convince Kate to go to bed. She was right there. Now he just had to get back to her somehow.

"Oh God. I have to go. I..."

"It's okay Tad, you have someone to get back too, go home." Jenny said with a sad smile.

"It's okay?"

"You just gotta fight for it. Now go on. Turn around."

"Bye Tad, tell everyone we said hello..." Simone said as her friend vanished in a flash of white light.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Cortlandt Manor Guesthouse

"Honey c'mon now. You gotta go to sleep. It's getting really late." Dixie said as she walked into Kate's room and saw her daughter in a frenzy.

"But Mommy I can't!" Kate said as she frantically dug through her closet.

"Now what is so important in your closet that you can't wait until tomorrow to find?"

"Ha! I found it." Kate said triumphantly as she tried to pull her suitcase free.

"What in the world do you need that for?"

"I have to go out."

"I don't think so." Dixie said as she picked Kate up and put her on the bed.

"But Mom! I can't go to sleep yet! I have to go out!"

"And where may I ask do you need to go at 11:00 at night?"

"I have to go find my daddy." Kate said she rolled off the bed and opened her suitcase.

"Oh Kate..." Dixie sighed as she zipped the suitcase shut and gave Kate a hug.

"Mom! C'mon…we have to go! We have to find Daddy and make sure he's okay." Kate said with tears in her eyes.

"Baby, listen to me alright? I promised you that in a while I'm gonna talk to your dad. But right now he probably has a lot on his mind, and I..I don't think I'm ready to go out and tell him I'm alive."

"Why not?"

"Because baby, I'm starting to have some mixed feelings when it comes to your dad."

Dixie didn't want to have to have this discussion with Kate now of all times, but she knew at some point she had to tell her daughter her uncertain feelings about her future with Tad.

The truth was that she was scared, scared that he had changed or moved on or both. That he wasn't the man everyone was telling her stories about. She couldn't be one hundred percent sure when it came to Tad, especially when her memories of him only came from photographs or stories.

But what terrified her most was if she and Tad couldn't work things out, or if their relationship went south, how it would affect Kate and how it would wind up disappointing her.

Their daughter was so anxious to see her parents reunite, but Dixie knew doing so would be a huge risk, and she just couldn't afford to take it yet.

"But I thought that..."

"Shh, sweetie listen to me. I don't really remember all that happened between me and your father. But I do know that he made a new life for himself, he's moved on Kate. And that woman he was so close to marrying, she kept me away from you and your brothers for so long."

"But Mom, Daddy and Krystal aren't in love anymore. And you don't know Daddy like I do. He doesn't say it but I know that he really misses you, a whole lot. And if he saw you he would fall in love with you all over again. I know it! We just gotta both go and find him!"

Kate said impatiently as she ran to pack her suitcase.

"Okay, alright listen to me. I promise you that in the morning we'll both go out and find your dad. But right now its way too late for you to still be up. If you go to sleep now, tomorrow first thing we'll go out.

But now, its time for you to be in bed."

"But Mom I..."

"No buts. C'mon now, under the covers. That's a girl. Good night sunshine."

Dixie said as she turned off the light and shut the door behind her.

"Oh God, I'm not gonna get to sleep at all." Dixie mumbled as she looked over at her clock, the red numbers flashing 1:00 AM over and over.

As she got up, stretched and walked to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water, she noticed Kate's pink scrapbook lying open on the counter.

She looked through the book and found a page with three pictures, one from each of her and Tad's weddings. As she looked at each picture, she tried to remember the occasion itself, the good times, but kept coming back to the stuff in between. Why they had gotten married three times, why one round of "I do's" didn't seem to stick.

She started to remember all the reasons why. How Tad had become Tad the Cad and always seemed to be breaking her heart, and how she always seemed to be breaking his.

With tears in her eyes she flipped to the next page, and found a picture of her in reindeer ears and Tad in a strand of tinsel. But instead of thinking of the good memories from that night, she remembered how long it had taken them to get to that point. How Tad had reacted when he saw her for the first time at David's cabin, and how he went on trial and lied on the witness stand, to protect her from being sent to jail for a crime he had committed. A crime he committed because of a mistake she had made.

"I can't do this anymore." Dixie said with a sob as she slammed the book shut.

"I... I can't come back to him and have us hurt each other again! Not with Kate in the middle of it. I can't do to her what I did to J.R, I won't..."

After a few minutes, Dixie got up and walked over to her daughter's room.

But when she walked in to give her a kiss goodnight, all she saw was a pillow where her daughter was supposed to be.

"Oh...Oh my god. Kate? Kate? Baby where are you? You playing hide and seek with your mama?"

Figuring Kate had just gone to get a drink she ran and checked in every room in the guesthouse where she and Kate were staying (to avoid Erica's persistent phone calls)

But there was no sign of her.

"Don't…don't panic. Just...just relax. Oh no..."

Dixie said as she noticed the open window in Kate's room.

"Oh my God no..."

Dixie bolted over to the closet and to her horror found Kate's suitcase missing along with her favorite stuffed animal.

"No God please…please don't let my baby be out there by herself." Dixie panicked with tears running down her face as she tried dialing the police station.

"Damnit! No there can't be a busy signal at the cops! Oh...oh my God…Okay, I...I'll just try Di and Aidan's. Come on…please, please pick up.

God, this is all my fault! Why didn't I go with her to find him tonight? My God. My baby, my sweet Kate! How could this have happened...?"

Suddenly the answering machine kicked in at Di and Aidan's

"Oh. Oh my God, Di, it's…it's Dixie, can you please come over to the Cortlandt guesthouse right away!"

Dixie sobbed into the phone.

"It's…its Kate. She…she's not in her room. I...I don't know where she is all I know is I came in her room and she's not in her bed, her suitcase is...is gone...and she took her teddy bear...and oh my God Di I..I can't breathe. I'm panicking here. Please...please come. I have to find my baby. I can't lose my little girl again. Please come, or call me, or something, I'm freaking out..."

As the machine cut Dixie off, she tried calling the police again, and got another busy signal. Waiting for help she gave in and broke down sobbing on Kate's bed.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Wildwind

"Psst. Emma? Hey Emma, c'mon wake up."

"Huh? What.."

Emma said sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.

"What's goin on.."

"Emma, it's Kate! Kate Martin."

"Kate..Oh! Wow, Kate! I haven't seen you in forever! But why..why are you here? At..2:00 in the morning?"

"I need your help."

"What for?"

"I need you to come and help me find something, um..someone."

"Find what?"

"My daddy."

"Why do we have to find your daddy? I thought you were looking for your mom?"

"No..I found my mom. She's back at the house. I need to find my dad now. He didn't come home with Miss Krystal. They never got married, and I haven't seen since he left. I'm real worried about him Emma. And my mom doesn't wanna help me look for him."

"So you want me to help you? So that means you're back home now, you aren't gonna run away again? Does this mean we can be friends again!" Emma asked happily.

"We've always been friends Emma."

"No..no we haven't. You like, never call me back anymore, and I haven't seen you in like a month! I haven't seen you since you said you were leaving, and I missed you."

"Well I'm back now, and once I get my family back I won't need to run away, but now we have to go and find my daddy. Will you help me?"

"Um..what about my mom and dad? Should we tell them?"

"Will they let you come with me if you ask?"

"Well, no they won't actually. My mommy likes you Kate, but she doesn't really like the rest of your family. No offense, it's just she and your mommy and daddy got off on the wrong foot."

"Yeah..I know, my mom said she was surprised when your mom came to that party."

"My mommy didn't think your mom was gonna be there.She thought that she was dead."

"Oh. Well, we don't have time to talk about that now. It's time for us to go. I figured out a way to get us both outta here, we just gotta climb through the window and go out the back gate. Your window's on the first floor so we won't have to pull a Rapunzel or anything."

"Good, my hair's too short for that, and I don't wanna be your Prince Charming or anything."

"Yeah, same here. So I'll go first and then you come after me. And don't forget to put a pillow under your cover so your mom think's you're still in bed. Finding my daddy shouldn't take too long but it's just in case."

"Okay. Lets go!" Emma said happily as she followed Kate out the window.

Manor

"Oh my God Di..I..I'm so worried about my baby! I..I don't know where she is and she.she should've known running off would make me crazy. Why didn't I just c..come with her? Go when she asked me to.Why'd my baby run away! .I..I can't lose my little girl again.."

Dixie sobbed while clutching Kate's pillow in her daughter's room, as Di tried her best to reassure her.

"Shh, Dixie. Kate will be just fine..She's a smart little girl, the smartest one I know. She'll be okay! We'll find her, and after you ground her til she's twenty everything will be just fine! We've got the whole town looking for her, she'll be back before you know it."

Suddenly the doorbell rang.

"Kate!" Dixie asked with alarm.

"Just sit tight, I'll get it."

"Oh my God. Di, I just found out! Where's Kath..where's Kate? Where is she!" Julia asked as she ran into the room completely panicked.

"We don't know Julia. Dixie just walked in her room and she wasn't in her bed."

"My sister wasn't kidnapped was she?" Jamie asked with fear in his eyes.

"Aidan came and checked, and figures it wasn't a kidnapping because Kate's suitcase is gone and so is her stuffed animal. Plus Kate had been wanting to leave the house all night."

"But why did she have to run away in the middle of the night! Dixie's been nothing but amazing with Kate."

"I..I don't know Jamie."

"How's she taking it?"

"Not..not well. I mean she was all set to go out and look for Kate herself, but she was in hysterics and didn't look like she could handle it. Plus Aidan said it's better she stayed here in case Kate came home. We called the cops, and Aidan and his guys are out looking all over the place. I tried to get her to have some tea and relax but she wouldn't hear of it."

"I'll go make sure she's holding up" Julia said as she went over to check on Dixie.

As Di was about to go call Aidan there was a loud pounding at the front door.

"Hello! Damnit Dixie open the door!"

"Annie?"

Di said with confusion as Ryan and Annie bolted into the living room.

"Where is she..where's my daughter. Damnit!"

"Annie what's wrong?" Jamie asked with concern as Dixie and Julia came out of the bedroom.

"I'll tell you what's wrong!" Annie yelled as she glared at Dixie.

"My daughter isn't in her bed. She's not at Wildwind, not anyplace."

"Annie, Kate isn't here either..Now if you could just try and.." Julia tried to explain but Annie cut her off.

"No! No I'm not going to relax! I'm not going to calm down when my daughter isn't in her bed, not when she's out with..with your daughter! With her best friend Kate who runs off and drags my daughter into her messes! No! I'm not going to let Emma suffer because of you and your family anymore Dixie!"

"Now hold on a second Annie.." Julia cautioned as Di just glared at her.

"You tried to take my daughter once before, remember that! You and Tad lost your child and took mine as a replacement! My daughter..is not going to suffer because you're a bad mother Dixie! Your daughter ran away for a reason you know! Why shouldn't she? With a family as dysfunctional as she has why wouldn't she run away!"

Annie accused.

"Now you just wait a second Annie." Jamie said

"I care about Emma just as much as I care about Kate. But you have no right to come in here and talk like this."

"He's right. Annie you're my friend but I'll be damned if you come in to my sister's house and insult my family." Di said angrily.

"Ryan! Say something! Emma is our daughter and you're just going to stand there and take this!"

"Annie, just listen to me alright.We're all upset, we're stressed, but you can't do this to yourself you understand. Nobody is totally to blame here.."

"No..Ryan, everyone, Annie's right.." Dixie said weakly.

"This is all my fault.She's absolutely right to blame me. I'm the one who didn't let go out with Kate to look for Tad, I'm the one who got her so anxious and worried that she had to run away. I didn't know she would drag Emma into this mess Annie, I didn't know our girls were so close. I didn't know Kate liked to run off. I.I don't know a thing about my own daughter. It's all my.." Dixie said feeling dizzy as her vision blurred,

"Oh God Dixie!" Di panicked as she saw her sister turn pale and almost collapse.

"Is she alright?" Ryan asked with concern.

"Yeah..I..I just felt a little dizzy for a second..I..I'm fine."

"No you're not. She's really warm guys, and...her pulse is really fast."

Jamie said.

"We should get you to the hospital Dixie."

Julia said matter of factly.

"No..don't..don't worry about it. I..I'm just stressed Julia. My daughter's missing, do you expect me to not be a wreck?"

"There, you said it yourself. You're stressed. Dixie we can't afford to risk it.Not with your heart condition." Jamie said.

"No! No I have to stay here... I have to make sure Kate gets home safe. I'll try not to overdo it, I promise."

"Um..too late Dixie, you already have overdone it. We can't afford to let this slide. Go pull the car around Jamie."

"Done."

"But I.."

"No buts Dixie." Di said.

"We've got the whole town out there looking for Kate. You're health is more important than your stubbornness here."

"Dixie I promise we're gonna track down our girls. You should go to the hospital, think of Kate. She can't afford to lose her mom again." Ryan said with concern.

"C'mon Dixie, Jamie and I are taking you to PVH this minute."

"Go on, we'll have Kate home by the time you get checked out."

After a few minutes, Dixie knew her friends were right, and reluctantly agreed with them as she, Jamie, and Julia walked out to the car.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Pine Valley

"C'mon Emma, we gotta keep walking. We gotta hurry up. Otherwise our moms will come to get us up and flip out when we aren't in bed."

"But I'm...I'm, too tired to keep walking this fast. My suitcase is heavy and my feet hurt." Emma said sleepily.

"I know, I'm tired too. But we gotta find my daddy tonight."

"How do you know where your daddy even is? What if he's driving home now Kate? What if he's already home and already seen your mommy? We'll have done all this for nothing."

"If my daddy was fine I would know it. If he was home he would have come and found me already 'cause that's what he always does when I try and run away. He would have called home too. But he hasn't yet. He hasn't called me once, and I haven't seen him since I found Mom and he left for his wedding with KWAK. When he didn't come home with KWAK after she stopped caring about him I got worried."

"But your daddy's smart Kate. And he's strong. He wouldn't let anything happen to him."

"Something just doesn't feel right okay. Daddy isn't home for a reason. He would've come home by now if everything was fine. I left him a voicemail saying that I found Mom, and he didn't call me back. He always calls me back, and if he knew that Mommy was home he'd be so happy to see her he'd get home as fast as he could.

"He'd find her so fast it would make her head spin and she'd put her arms around him, and she'd never let him go. But he hasn't done any of that stuff yet and I'm scared. I'm scared he could be hurt and end up like my old mom and dad and Uncle Del. I have to find him and make sure he's okay Emma."

"Okay, I know we need to find him, but how do you know where? Why are we walking this way? I don't even know where we are. How do you know where we are going?"

Emma asked with confusion.

"I just...I just know okay."

"How?"

"Okay…I'll tell ya but you have to promise you won't think it's weird."

"Sure! No problem."

"Do you remember when I had that dream about that lady with the white dress?"

"Uh huh. The lady ended up being your mom right?"

"Right, But I only figured that out and only saw my mom after I wished for her on a wishing star at the park."

"Okay."

"So, last night, when I found out at the mansion that my dad wasn't there, and when I didn't know where he was, I looked up and saw that same star."

"Cool! So did ya wish on it?"

"Uh huh. I wished that I could figure out where my daddy was. That I could find him."

"Did you figure it out? Did you find out where your daddy was?"

"Yeah, I had…this dream tonight that he..."

"That he what?"

"That he was hurt." Kate said with a sob.

"In my dream he was hurt, in a car, there was water, and a tree, and he was hurt in his car."

"Oh my gosh. Well c'mon we gotta find him now!" Emma said as she and Kate broke into a run towards a nearby river.

"Kate! I...I see a car!" Emma yelled as she and Kate made their way over to the wreck, and to their horror saw Tad's car flattened against a tree by the river.

There was a young man who witnessed the accident trying to help, while his wife was on her cell phone calling for an ambulance.

"Oh dear. Tim…There's two little girls over here."

The woman went over and started talking to Emma.

"Were you girls in the car with him?"

"No...no we weren't in the car. B...But my friend Kate over there. That's her daddy." Emma said with tears in her eyes as she saw her friend trying to get closer to the wreck.

"B..But Mister you, you don't understand! That's...that's my daddy! I...I have to see him!! Please!" Kate sobbed.

"Hon, just calm down. We're gonna call an ambulance and your dad is gonna be fine."

As the woman came over and took Kate's hand to lead her away from the accident, her heart broke for the two little girls who quickly embraced and sat on a tree stump in tears.

PVH

"Dixie, c'mon now. You gotta just sit down and relax. You can't afford to be stressed right now, your blood pressure is through the roof."

Julia was pleading with the frantic woman pacing around her room in a hospital gown, with tears in her eyes and cell phone in hand.

"Julia I can't! Don't you understand! My baby is out there now, nobody's found her yet, nobody knows if she's okay or not. I have every right to be pacing and panicked, okay!"

"Dixie, come here and sit down. I know how you feel. I know how upset and tense you are, believe me I work at a hospital. I'm always tense."

Julia said with a sad smile, only to see her friend break down in tears again on the bed.

"It's gonna be okay..." Julia said soothingly as she gave Dixie a hug.

"I took care of Kath, of Kate, for all those years with Jamie. She's an amazing girl; she's brave, and smart. Almost too smart for her own good. I also know that she loves you so much Dixie. I've never seen her happier then when she's with you."

"But…if she's so, happy, why did she feel like she had to run away from me? I lost my daughter Julia! I let Kate down and now she's gone. It's…it's just like before. I let my baby get away from me."

"Dixie…" Julia whispered nervously, trying to keep her friend calm after seeing her blood pressure spike.

"..And what…what if something happens to her? If anything...anything happens to Kate it's all...it's all my fault."

"Shh, no what if's! We can't afford to fear the worst right now, you especially. Nothing is gonna happen to your little girl, I swear it. You...you stay right here and relax. I just gotta check on some things."

"Um, excuse me Joe?"

"Oh yes, what is it Julia?"

"Well you know what's going on with Dixie right?"

"Yes, Jamie told me about Kate having gone missing. Is Dixie holding up, I feared the worst when she was brought in."

"Well, her BP is higher than we'd like it, but that's to be expected. I'm just afraid things will get worse and she could hurt herself with all the stress."

"Well, if her vitals are beginning to spike we should give her a mild sedative. Just as a precaution."

"Alright. Thanks Joe."

Shortly after Julia gave Dixie the sedative the hospital received an emergency call from a pair of witnesses at the scene of a car accident.

"Oh good. Tim! I see the ambulance. Do you think he's gonna be okay?"

"I...I don't know. I'm no doctor, but he's pinned in there pretty damn good."

"If you could step aside please. Oh my God." Derek said as he came over to the wreck and saw Tad.

As they finally broke Tad free of the car and sent him off in an ambulance, Derek looked around to assess the damage and saw two young girls huddled off to the side in tears. He was about to send one of his men over to check on them when he saw their families come running instead.

"Oh my God Emma!" Annie said as she and Ryan ran over and embraced her daughter.

"Kate!" Aidan said as she ran over and gave his niece a hug.

"Thank God you're alright."

As Aidan hugged Kate, he looked around and was stunned by what he saw. He had just happened to stumble upon her location by accident as he was driving around and saw a pink suitcase lying towards the street. He figured the police had noticed this as well and that explained the sirens. But then he saw to his horror the real reason why.

"Derek! Wha..."

Aidan whispered to try not to scare Kate.

"This is Tad's car is it not?" Aidan said looking pale.

"Aidan, I..."

"What happened? Where's Tad?"

"We...we just pulled him outta there. He's at PVH Aidan."

"But how, who..." Aidan just stared at the totaled car in shock as Tim proceeded to explain the accident that had taken place.

"And those girls over there, they saw..."

"We saw them when we came over to call the cops. Is that girl really that guy's..?"

"Yes…Kate is Tad's daughter. Emma is her friend."

"Oh dear." Tim's wife said sympathetically.

"Yes...well, thanks for the update. Excuse me for a moment, uh Annie!"

"Don't, don't worry Aidan. I'll make sure Kate gets home safely."

"No! No I...I have to go to the hospital! I have to see my daddy!" Kate sobbed as she pleaded to go with Aidan instead.

"Annie I think she should come with me. Dixie needs to know that her daughter's okay."

"But I..."

"No thank you Annie. Despite how dysfunctional you believe my family is, I can assure you I can look out for my own niece." Aidan said as he walked towards the car with Kate right behind him.

"Oh, wait. Fish & Chips, my shoes untied."

"Alright you tie it, I'll go warm up the car."

As Aidan left Kate looked up at the night sky and saw her star off in the distance.

"Okay, starlight, star bright, first star I..."

"C'mon Kate."

"Um. Look you know the rest! I...I wish that my daddy will be okay, and that my mommy and him will see each other, and that we…we can be a family..."

"Kate!"

"Coming! Now c'mon, little wishing star. Work your magic. We need you!"


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

PVH

The Next Morning

"Um…excuse me, Miss Nurse?

Kate asked with confusion.

This morning when she woke up she wasn't at home in her bed. Instead she had a room in the hospital all to herself, except she didn't feel sick at all. She tried to remember what had happened to her last night, and only remembered Aidan carrying her to his car. She remembered feeling very nervous and scared.

Then she knew why.

"I...I was just wondering if I can see my daddy yet, and, have you...seen my mommy around here anyplace?"

"Um, sweetie... I'm, not sure if.. I'm kinda of busy at the moment, I..."

"Kate, you're awake! Oh I'm sorry if she was disturbing you miss."

"No it's fine, will you excuse me?"

"Aunt Di! That lady was gonna let me see my daddy and tell me where my mom was!"

"Oh Kate..." Di said as she sat down on Kate's bed and gave her a hug.

"What's wrong? Why is Grandma Ruth and Opal and Uncle Palmer and Brooke, and Fish & Chips and my brothers all here? Why does everyone look so scared and upset?" Kate asked on the verge of tears.

"Kate, sugar...I..."

Opal tried to explain but felt just as scared as her granddaughter and didn't want to upset her more.

"It's okay, you can tell me."

"It's alright, Opal I can tell her." Julia said as she went over and sat next to Kate.

"Now sweetie, when you decided to run away last night..."

"You mean when I tried to find my daddy."

"Right. Well, when that happened and your mom didn't find you in the house, she, got very upset and nervous."

"Well I'm home now, where is she?"

"Kate, your mom, she's just resting in that room across the hall. The doctors gave her a drug to make her fall asleep so she wouldn't be so nervous."

"Well can I go in and see her?"

"Honey, we can't let you see her just yet. We have to make sure that she doesn't get sick and that she gets a bit stronger before we let her wake up."

"She…she isn't gonna end up like, like my old mommy will she?" Kate asked nervously.

"Ohh no sweetie of course not. I...I promise you that."

"Well, where's my daddy then? Can I see him?"

Kate looked around and saw everyone looking sad and scared again. Ruth and Opal were crying, Brooke looked pale and Aidan and Di were trying to reassure her.

"Well Kate, your...your daddy was..."

"Wait I...I remember now. Last...last night, Emma and I...we saw Daddy's car, and sirens, and then I got really scared 'cause nobody was telling me what was going on, nobody let me see him or anything. But he's okay, right? He'll be okay and so will Mommy, and everything will be fine right?"

Kate asked completely terrified when nobody said anything to her.

"Well, look I'm...I'm just gonna go and see for myself..."

"No! No Kate you can't."

J.R panicked.

"C'mon J.R! Let me go see Daddy!"

"Listen Kate. Dad is...he got hurt, in his car last night."

"But Jamie I...I have to see him!"

"Kate. They...had him in, surgery, all last night."

"Surgery...but, he's gonna be okay isn't he!"

"Kate, they're doing everything they can." Di said trying to reassure her niece.

"No! They aren't!" Kate said as she looked out the window.

"What do you mean sweetie? The doctors all know what they are doing. Your mom and dad are getting the best help they can."

"But, if they are trying to help them fight back, why is Mommy across the hall and Daddy two doors down? Grandma Ruth, you always told me that my mom and dad came back when they were apart, for each other. Why are they being kept apart now?"

"She...she's right. They can fight back from this if they're together."

Palmer said.

"Yeah, if...if my mom knows Tad is here, she'll recover and wake up from the sedative. I know she will."

"And my boy will come out fighin if his beloved Dixie is right there waitin for him. Let's do it." Opal said happily.

"Ruth, it is okay if they are in the same room together right?" Brooke asked.

"Well I...I don't see why not, neither of them are in intensive care, we can rearrange their rooms no problem, right Julia?"

"I'll…I'll take care of it right away."

"Where...where am I?" Dixie panicked, as she looked around and saw nothing she recognized, nothing familiar. She just felt scared, alone, trapped in this awful darkness.

"Well well well. Look who's back. Did you miss me, Ditsie?"

"No...No you're...you're not alive anymore Kevin. What...what do you want from me? Leave me alone!"

"Oh I'm afraid I can't do that." Kevin said with a smirk as he stepped aside to show Ian, barely breathing on the ground.

"No! Ian! Please, help me, somebody help me!"

"Don't worry Ms Martin; I'll take good care of you, and your daughter."

"Mommy!"

"Kate! Doctor, where's my baby?"

"Oh Ms. Martin, Kate is my responsibility now. You told me it was for the best. You know Tad won't take care of her, he won't give her the life she deserves. Neither will you, I'm going to make sure she'll be raised by good people. Your daughter is no longer your concern. You'll never see her again."

"No but...she's my daughter, she's my baby!... I can't lose her!"

"Why not Dixie, you already have lost your son, he's going to end up exactly like his father."

"My son will never be like you. You can't control his life Adam. I...I raised him to be more of a man than you'll ever be."

"What do you mean, raised him to be better than me? I've raised that boy in my image. You aren't going to be there for him, he'll never know his mother. I've made sure of it."

"No! Adam let me see my son! Let me hold my baby!"

"Now you know I can't do that Dixie, risk you pouring detergent in his formula, risk you drowning my only son in the bathtub. You're never going to see your son again, not while you're here anyways."

Adam said with a smirk as he walked away leaving Dixie in a cell in Laurel Hill.

"Looky who we've got here. I'm gonna marry you Miss Dixie. I promise ya that."

"Billy Clyde! Stay away from me!"

"What! Are you crazy or something? The only person Dixie is gonna marry is me, one way or the other."

"No...No I won't Ted. I...I'm in love with Tad!"

"Not anymore...I am. Tad loves me Dixie, me. Don't you remember that night, in that hotel room? You found us out Dixie, you found your beloved Tad's wedding ring off, and you found out our little secret, our affair. You weren't good enough for him so he came to me time and time again. He's always gonna be in love with his first love, meaning me. Liza. You'll never totally have his heart."

"No, because I will. Or at least I'll force him to give it to me."

Leslie said wearing a wedding dress, menacingly holding a length of rope in her hands.

"If I have to break a few laws to do it than so be it. Those nights I spent with Tad were magical Dixie; the Libidozone had nothing to do with it. Tad and I are madly in love and there's nothing you can do to stop it. He's mine! One way or another."

Leslie stepped aside to show Tad lying on the ground.

"Oh God! Tad! No! Please, please wake up!"

"Dix...is that you?"

"Yes...Tad, it's me. I'm right here."

"Together for...forever. I love you Dix."

"No c'mon...c'mon stay with me!"

"No..." Dixie mumbled.

"TAD!" She yelled as she woke up in a cold sweat.

"Oh thank God, it...it was just a dream."

Dixie said with tears in her eyes as she looked around trying to figure out where she was, and was shocked when she saw him, the love of her life in the bed next to her's.

"Tad, it's...it's really you."

She whispered as she reached over and took his hand in hers, and then broke down in tears when she saw how hurt he was.

"Hey you...It's...it's me. It's Dixie. I'm back, I'm home. I'm right here; all ya gotta do is open your eyes. I'm begging you Tad, I need you. I didn't come all this way to lose you. We've wasted too much time. C'mon please babe, be that big strong man I love and fight past this. Please Tad!"

At this Tad's eyes fluttered open for a split second and he struggled to stay awake, swearing he heard Dixie's voice.

"Tad, c'mon! You can do this!" Dixie said loudly, attracting the attention of Julia and other doctors.

"I'm sorry miss, I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave."

"No! But...but he just, he was just about to wake up! He needs me here! Please!"

"Dixie, he just collapsed again, you can't be here."

"No! Julia, please! He needs me just as much as I need him! Please just give us a few more minutes, that's all I want!"

"Dixie..." Joe said sadly.

"But...please!" Dixie sobbed.

"You need to rest too Dixie." Jeff said as he tried to get her away from Tad's side.

"Tad...I'm right here babe, I promise." Dixie cried as she finally let go of Tads hand, only to break down in hysterics in Joe's arms.

"Shhh. He'll get through this Dixie. I promise. But you need to relax too. We can't afford you getting stressed right now. I'll have a nurse escort you to another room..."

"No! No, I'm...I'm sorry, I can't. I can't relax in one of those rooms. Besides I'm wide awake. I'll...I'll be fine. Can I go take a walk? I have to make sure Kate is okay."

"Well I..."

"Please Joe?"

"Alright, just for a little bit."

"Thank you."

Dixie said as Joe gave her a hug and walked in to check on Tad.

"Mommy!"

"Oh my baby!" Dixie cried as she held Kate close.

"Honey why did you do this to me? Why did you run away in the middle of the night! You knew it would make me go crazy!"

"I'm sorry, but..."

"No! No buts! Young lady, I'm not going to tolerate this kind of behavior from my only daughter. No more leaving the house unless you have permission! Understand?"

"Uh huh. I'm real sorry Mom."

"It's...it's alright. I'm just so glad you're safe."

"I'm glad you're okay too." Kate said with a yawn.

"Did you get any sleep at all?"

"Well..."

"I'll take that as a no. Come with me."

After Dixie got Kate to go to sleep on a nearby couch, she realized she was a bit tired herself, and headed back to her room only to find the doctors gone and Tad still asleep, but to her relief he was no longer hooked up to as many machines.

"Hey handsome. How ya feeling?"

Dixie said with a whisper as she smoothed Tad's hair and took his hand.

"Okay, I know I'm probably boring you coming in here and sounding like a sappy Hallmark card, but trust me I mean every single word that I'm saying. So you better be listening to me, even if I'm driving you absolutely nuts.

I need you to get better Thaddeus J. I need you to wake up, open those beautiful eyes of yours, and know that I'm here, that I'm pulling for you, and will be here for you every step of the way. I'm always gonna be here for you Tad, just like you were always here for me. Remember all those times you and I fought back from everything that was thrown at us? Remember when we beat Adam and his goons, and when we beat Ted Orsini? Remember those rapids?"

"There was the time with Billy Clyde too. You looked death square in the eye and turned around, for us. Same with the tornado! And look at all the obstacles we went through with Madden, and with Kate! Tad, we have our sweet little girl, our daughter who's waiting for her daddy to come home. We didn't find our baby again for her to lose her daddy. Same with the boys, and all the rest of our family too. We all need you Tad. And you wanna know what else? I need you too. More than you'll ever know. We still have to get married a few more times; we need to go on our first date! I need to buy you a big plate of chicken fingers to make up for standing you up all this time. C'mon sweetheart, together forever isn't just a cliché, it's me and you, it's our relationship, what's kept us going on through all the bad stuff, what got us down the aisle three times! C'mon babe, please. Let's get back what we lost, all that time we wasted. Please Tad, get past this. Fight this for me. There's no reason for me to go on living in this world, if you aren't in it with me."

Dixie said with tears in her eyes as she gave Tad a kiss on the cheek, and proceeded to curl up next to him in the hospital bed, and fell asleep holding his hand.

"Um...Dr. Martin? I..."

"What's wrong? Is it Tad!" Joe panicked as he ran into Tad's room, and to his relief saw he was fine.

"Joe? What's wrong with...Oh my, isn't that the sweetest..."

"Should we bring back Ms. Martin to her own room Sir?"

"No...They're just fine. As of now that's the best thing for both of them." Joe said with a smile as he dimmed the light in Tad's room.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

PVH

"Ummm, Dixie? Honey, you have to wake up."

"Huh...what? Where? Ruth? What are you doing here?"

"Just doing my job. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah I...I guess. Is he..." Dixie asked nervously as she looked over at Tad.

"He's just fine; he made quite an improvement last night. I wouldn't be surprised if he's up and about this afternoon."

"That's...that's wonderful. Can I stay with him until he wakes up?"

"I'm sorry dear. Tad's not the only patient in this room right now we should be concerned about. We have some tests we have to run on you too."

"But I... I...I can't leave him here."

"Tad will be just fine. Just a few minutes Dixie. Then you can come on back."

"Okay. I guess."

"C'mon, this way."

"What…where? Ow! Arrgh."

Tad whispered as he opened his eyes and looked around to find himself in a hospital bed.

"What the hell did I do?"

"You decided to use a riverbank as a parking space and cut off a tree to get there. Apparently it didn't enjoy that and it fought back, hard."

Jeff said smugly.

"Um yeah, can I perhaps get another doctor, one who doesn't take pleasure in my, ouch. Misfortunes."

"It sounds like someone needs some more painkillers. Guess your good humor took quite a beating as well."

"Oh I guess you didn't know, my good humor was surgically removed quite some time ago."

"Sorry, can't seem to find it on your chart."

"Check the chart from February of 2007. It should have disappeared somewhere around then."

Tad muttered under his breath, almost wishing he hadn't woken up. Last night had been one of the best nights he'd slept in years, and not just because of the sedatives. He half expected for Dixie to be lying right next to him when he woke up. She had been so real, her words were still fresh in his mind. He actually thought he had seen her standing over him for a split second, telling him he had to fight back. But he knew it was probably just the painkillers talking to him.

"Tad...you there?"

"What...yeah, yeah I'm here."

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Oh yeah, other than a few cracked ribs and a broken arm, not to mention a wicked headache, I'm just peachy."

"Tad I..."

"Look Jeff, if you're all done running tests on me I'd kinda like to be left alone."

"Sure...no problem. If you need anything you know where I'll be."

"Hey, how's our guy doing?" Joe asked happily.

"Not, great Dad. I'm kinda worried about him. He seems depressed."

"Well does he know about...?"

"I...I don't know. Do you think it's too soon to tell him? I mean do you think he can take the shock in his condition?"

"Well, his vitals seem strong enough, and of anything Dixie being there could only help. I..."

"Grandpa! Uncle Jeff!" Kate interrupted.

"Is my daddy awake? Can I see him?"

"Well Kate I..."

"Yes, he is. And I have a feeling he'll be very happy to see you. Go on in."

"Uh...Daddy? Can I come in...?"

"What I...Did you really need to ask? Get over here angel."

Tad said happily as he picked Kate up and gave her a hug.

"Hey, what's with the waterworks?"

Tad asked with concern as Kate sniffled.

"Nothing I...I just was so worried about you. I saw your car and you were hurt and I..."

"Oh Kate. Listen baby I'm right here. Your funnyman is not going anyplace for along time, you understand me?"

"Uh huh."

"Good, Kate...I, I have to tell you something. I owe you a huge apology."

"Daddy it's..."

"No, now you listen to me. I messed up, Kate. I put what I needed over your happiness, and you, you did nothing to deserve that from me. You were absolutely right, about Krystal, about everything, and I didn't listen to you, what you wanted. I let you down sweetheart, again."

"No you didn't!"

"Yes, yes I did. Go ahead and say it, tell me you told me so."

"No, I'm not. It's my fault too, I ran away from everything 'cause I was angry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Well, since both of us messed up here, at least a little bit, how about we promise never to do that to each other again, and we'll call it even. Is that okay with you? Hmmm?" Tad asked as he tickled Kate under the chn.

"Yes! Yes it's fine!"

"Good."

"I love you Daddy."

"I love you too sweetheart, more than you'll ever know."

"What's wrong Dad?"

"No it's...it's nothing."

"It's not nothing. Are you thinking of the pretty lady again?"

"Pretty lady? What are you talking about?"

"The pretty lady, with the blonde hair and the eyes just like mine. My mommy."

"Well, yes. Yes I am. How do you know that I'm thinking about her?"

"'Cause you get misty eyed when you think about her. You always have."

"Wow, when did you get to be so observant?"

"I don't know."

"Well, you being such a little detective there, you've probably figured out I think about your mom a lot."

"Uh huh."

"Kate, I know I haven't told you enough about your mom, but I loved her very, very much. And you know something my dear, darling daughter. You and her are so much alike."

"I...I know we are. And I know a lot about you two too."

"You do? What do you know?"

"Well, you must've been really in love, you got married three times. And, you both like chicken fingers, a lot. And when you guys were hurt, or sick, you came back and got better, for each other."

"You're absolutely right..." Tad said with a sad smile.

"And also when, when you guys didn't know for sure if you were talking to each other or not, you guys used this secret code..."

Tad couldn't even speak as Kate struggled to figure out the names, and just stared at Kate mystified. There was only one other person on this earth who knew the answer...

"And I hate to say it baby, but that's a secret between me and your daddy."

"Oh, okay. Well, I'd tell it to Daddy again, 'cause I think he forgot it." Kate said with a wink to her mom, as she gave the stunned Tad a kiss and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

PVH

"Oh my God...DDixie?"

Tad could barely speak. He couldn't even think straight. It had to be a dream, that's all there was too it. But, the whole scene seemed so lifelike and so real. He thought Dixie was actually standing right in front of him, back from the dead and looking better than ever. He didn't know what meds he was on that were making him think like this, but he wanted to never get off of them. Whatever it was that was letting him have this beautiful dream, was something he never wanted to let go of.  
"Yes"  
Dixie whispered. Not five minutes ago, she had felt somewhat confident. She was nervous and anxious, but in a good way. She'd come in this room prepared for anything. Ready with little comments and jokes to lighten the mood, to make this whole experience go as smoothly as it could. But as of now, ever since she set foot in the hospital room, her mind was blank. She was afraid to even speak for fear of crying uncontrollably or laughing hysterically. The second she laid eyes on him, she got goosebumps. She felt lighter than air to the point of dizziness, and she felt her heart break in a million pieces when he looked back at her and said her name. For about a minute neither of them said a word, just stared at each other in awe, not thinking this was really happening.

"C'mon now lady, think!" Dixie thought to herself. "Say something to him! All that's going through his head right now is that this is a dream. He saw you die. He knows you can't possibly be alive and standing there. He thinks its some hallucination. Just tell him the truth"  
But she didn't say a word, and just found herself walking closer to the bed, but felt so nervous and anxious that she wasn't even sure she'd get there before she passed out.

"Oh my God." Tad said as he saw her turning paler by the second, and got out of bed to catch her before she fell.  
"Well I know now this definitely isn't a dream." Tad said as Dixie opened her eyes.  
"Hey..." She said weakly as Tad set her down on the bed.  
"Hey back." Tad stuttered as he sat down next to her.  
"Are...are you okay"  
"Yeah I...I just got a little dizzy that▓s all. Sure know how to make an entrance don't I?" Dixie said nervously while Tad just looked back at her with a completely serious expression on his face.  
"Tad"  
Dixie asked with concern.  
"How"  
"What"  
"How? How are you here? If it...if it even is you. Because if you're a fake I swear to God, even though I'm stuck in this hospital room I will throw you out myself. Are you one of Hayward's clones of my ex wife? Because please, if you are, just walk out that door right now. I mean it." "It's...it's me, I swear on my life it's me Tad. I'm Dixie." "Prove it to me"  
"I'd say Ozzie and Harriet, but it seems like that secret of ours has kind of spilled out. I'll...I'll try something else, I..." Dixie panicked.  
"No, no don't. Relax"  
Tad said with tears in his eyes as he gave Dixie a reassuring hug.  
"Shhhh. You don't go getting all upset. I'm supposed to be the one who's freaking out right now"  
"Okay, I'm...I'm better"  
"Well good. That makes one of us at least"  
"Oh Tad. I"  
"No I...Just hang on for a second. I...I'm still trying to wrap my head around this alright?  
I mean, this is obviously not some incredible dream, and you...you definitely are not a fake. But I, I was standing in that ICU with you, not an hour after we agreed to go on a date, not an hour after we had finally gotten past all the crap that was thrown our way, and all those months of pure hell. Not an hour after I had allowed myself to admit to the world I'd fallen in love with you all over again. That day, that I watched you die, I may as well have gone back to the Mansion and eaten what was left of those damn pancakes, 'cause I knew the second I walked out that ICU door a huge part of me died right there with you"  
"Oh Tad...I'm so sorry. I, I never wanted to...to hurt you, I didn't want this. I didn't want to leave you. I fought as hard as I could Tad. I promise you that. When I, when I thought it was the end, I turned around Tad. I saw my mom, Will, Bess, everyone, but I got back"  
"Okay look, sweetheart I know, that you're tough, that you would never give up without a fight. But I know it's pretty damn impossible to sneak out of the pearly gates all by yourself"  
"I'm not making any sense am I?■ "No, surprisingly I can kind of relate. I just have a feeling you had some outside help in this case. Who helped you Dix, who saved your life"  
"An unusual bunch to say the least. They weren't exactly helping me for my benefit; rather it was how big an asset I was to them that mattered"  
"What are you trying to say"  
"Okay, I have this explanation down pat by now." Dixie said as she proceeded to explain that day at the hospital, how she was given the Anti-Vtak courtesy of David and was taken by Kevin and his goons, and lived as Misty in the mob for all those years.  
Tad just looked at her completely dazed and stunned. "But. I. How? I...I mean I, I saw Misty myself. When she was being tried for those casino crimes. I was working on that case. Oh God, is that why Kate was so...?■ Tad stuttered.  
"Yes, I...I was Kate's teacher, before I knew she was my daughter. We were trapped at Kevin's mansion together, and even though, I didn't know she was ours, I just had to protect her, and keep her safe. All that time you were gone on cases, was around the time I realized Kate was my daughter. From there everything started to fall into place for me. Our daughter is the reason I'm in this room talking to you right now"  
"My God. I...I can't even believe this right now. But wait, when you figured out Kate was your daughter, how come you couldn't remember me, her father?" Tad asked with hurt in his voice.  
"Just let me explain alright."

"Okay. I'm...I'm listening"  
"I...I should have tried to find you sooner Tad. I should have made finding you and telling you I was alive my top priority when I got back, when I remembered your name for the first time I should've tracked you down myself.. It's what Kate wanted me to do, it's what your family wanted. If I had all this mess would've been avoided. But then I found out all these things about you, what your life had been like when I was gone, and I...I wigged.  
Instead of trying to remember us, the good times we had, all I could think of was the bad stuff and I scared myself out of finding you. I convinced myself it was just going to end badly. But look where being a chicken got me. Kate ran away from home to find you. She was worried about you, and so was I. I had this awful feeling in my gut that something was wrong. But I ignored it, and look what happened. I...I could have lost you, and Kate forever just because I chickened out"  
Dixie said sadly.  
"It's okay. I'm here, I'm fine. Kate's fine. Are you seriously blaming yourself for me not keeping my eyes on the road? I mean the only way that could possibly have happened is if you were out there directing traffic or felt the sudden urge to hitchhike." Tad joked, and to his delight finally saw Dixie smile.  
"But I'm still confused. I mean...it seems like you had to really work to remember your life, but you remember everything now. But you said you wigged 'cause of something. What happened that made you want to erase me Dix? Did I, did I hurt you somehow? Were you afraid of coming back and seeing me? Did something happen to you"  
"Actually, it was something that happened to you that made me reconsider my whole decision. The fact that you were all set to marry the woman bent on destroying my life kind of freaked me out a little"  
"Wait, what are you talking about? What did Krystal have to do with this"  
"Oh yeah, I kind of neglected to mention that while Krystal is a pal of yours her and I aren't exactly on great terms. Tad, when she found out the Satin Slayer had paid off Kevin to keep me alive; she paid him to keep me dead to this town. All this time she has known I was alive, and kept me away from you so she could have the life she wanted with you, and have the added pleasure of getting revenge on my son. Krystal Carey is the sole reason that you lost me Tad"  
"You know something, a few months ago, if someone had come and told me that Krystal had pulled this, that she was nothing but a lying cheat, I would've told that someone to go to hell, but now I'm not nearly as surprised as I should be"  
"Wow, you really have changed. A few years ago I was that person you told to go to hell. Actually no, you didn't put it that way. You just wrote me off as a liar and a nut job when I confronted you about Krystal was dragging your heart all over this town." Dixie said bitterly.  
"Well, I feel I should mention that your suspicion about Krystal proved to be somewhat incorrect. Jenny is not my daughter, but not Adam's either. However your feelings toward her, besides being totally justified, now happen to be the same as mine. And also, she's no longer our concern anymore. I just feel sorry for Randy"  
"Yeah the poor guy doesn't know what he's gotten himself into." Dixie said with a smile. "You know what the awful part of this is. Kate warned me. She knew Krystal was up to something, that this engagement of ours wasn't gonna work, but I didn't listen to her, just like I didn't listen to you when you told me. God, I guess the ▒I told you so▓ gene is hereditary in Cooney women. I'm...I'm so sorry Dix"  
"Shhh, no more apologizing. Your blood pressure's up. Sit back"  
"But I"  
"No buts! C'mon now. Do you want me to have to leave? "Cause if you burst a blood vessel or something that's on my conscience. Take a deep breath and relax...■ Dixie said soothingly.  
"Everything is going to be fine Tad, I promise you. No more bad stuff. Not anymore, we're too old for it now, you understand? We can't do that to ourselves. We have responsibilities now Tad. Big ones. Our beautiful daughter is impatiently waiting for us to get out of here in one piece. And we still have that date we have to go on and"  
"Okay I've listened to you long enough now.■ Tad said with a smile as he took Dixie's nose.  
"Now, a little less talk and a little more..." He said as he gave Dixie a kiss.  
"Oh c'mon now, I know you missed me more then that Thaddeus"  
Dixie said as she put her arms around Tad, and not wanting to show the passing doctors in the hall just how much she missed the love of her life, went to close the blinds.


	46. Epilogue

Epilogue

"C'mon Tad! You're driving us crazy here! What is this big surprise you've got planned? Is it gonna make me cry? Because I've cried myself an ocean already today." Dixie said with a sniffle.

"Oh no. Dad, I'm begging you, wait until tomorrow with this gift if you need to, for my sake."

"Jake, don't be so dramatic. I can only afford one theater major in this family. And not just financially speaking either. Your mom's just a very sentimental gal."

"I think sentimental idiot is the proper term." Dixie said still embarassed at her emotional breakdown she suffered when she dropped Kate off school.

"Yeah, that sounds about right"  
"Hey! I wasn't offering suggestions"  
"You didn't let me finish. You Dixie Martin are a sentimental idiot who I'm madly in love with." "Nice save." "I thought so." Tad save as he much to Jake's dismay gave Dixie a kiss.  
"Aww no! Okay, you've officially embarassed me enough this weekend. No need to continue. It's already been established none of us can set foot at Unversity of Virginia again. There's no need to continue the humilation"  
"Oh c'mon Jake. You should be thankful your mom and I are old enough"  
"Excuse me?" Dixie said soundng offended.  
"Sorry, slip of the lip. I mean, mature enough, to accept we're always gonna be in love with each other no matter what"  
"Yeah, you're stuck with me pal. We made that official awhile ago." Dixie said with a smile as she looked down at her ring finger, remembering the day like it was yesterday.  
Eleven years ago on a beautiful fall morning Tad and her had gone down the aisle for the fourth time.And it was that same day that a long long time ago, a young pregnant girl stumbled in the door at Myrtle's dress shop, into the arms of a man who loved her from the minute he laid eyes on her. The man who became the love of her life, and her husband four times over.  
During the ceremony Kate to her delight was the flower girl, and all their family and friends were in attendance. Later she and Tad spent their honeymoon in their hotel room in New York and danced the Twinkle Step until dawn. Two months later Kate, Jr, and Jamie were thrilled when they discovered their baby brother Jacob Palmer Martin was on the way. Much to her family's relief, Dixie's pregnancy, while a bit risky, was free of complications, and didn't require a stay in Europe to ensure that.  
However in a blink of an eye, Kate had graduated from high school, while Jake was about to turn twelve years old. The past several years Tad and Dixie's relationship was stronger then it had ever been, and Tad knew to keep this up, he had to keep things interesting. When Kate decided to go to school in Virginia, Tad knew he had been given an opportunity to make some decisions as well, that he felt confident would keep his relationship and family happy and on their toes.  
"Tad c'mon! You have to tell me where we're going! Please"  
"There's no need"  
"Jake? C'mon hon, tell your mom what's going on"  
"No can do"  
"Why not"  
"All you have to do is get out of the car and close your eyes"  
"But I"  
"Close 'em"  
Tad said as he helped Dixie out of the car, and proceeded to pick her up.  
"Tad! What are you doing"  
"Just a time honored tradition"  
"What tradition involves carrying me like...Oh my God. You didn't...no you couldn't have"  
"Open your eyes now"  
"Tad I...Oh God. You're gonna make me cry again"  
Dixie said with a sob as Tad carried her on the front porch leading inside a beautiful country cottage.  
"Tad I..How did you"  
"This was your dream remember? You always said that you wanted us to get a house in the country like this to"  
"To grow old together in"  
"Yup. I figured building this in good ol' Pigeon Hollow would be a good place"  
"But what about Pine Valley, your life is there Tad, and all our family and friends! And Jake can't be okay with just packing up and moving here"  
"Mom look, I'm fine living here really. JR showed me all the cool places around here. I mean you guys lived here when he was about my age. If he could do it so can I"  
"See, the kids a champ about it. believe me I wouldn't have done this without his permission. I'm not insane"  
"But what about your job in Pine Valley? What about the detective agency"  
"Dix, c'mon. You know as well as I do that Aidan and Di are basically running the place now. I'm just an old grumpy know it all curmudgeon who just gets in their way. Jamie and Julia are off making clinics, and J.R is off globetrotting with A all the time. Plus I figured that"  
"That what"  
"Well look, it's easier for Ma to be here 'cause Petey has a job at Kate's school. She and him are living just a few doors down. And after losing Palmer and my folks, it was tough as hell on both you and her. The same with me"  
"Oh Tad..." Dixie said sadly.  
"No, no. I didn't mean for this day to be a downer, and for this place to be just a distraction from the pain back home. Really. My folks would've wanted us to be living here now, for us to be where we are"  
"Yeah, you're...you're right"  
"C'mon sweetheart, this has been what we've wanted since we were kids. At least I have. How about you"  
"It's...it's perfect, Tad. I just never imagined you settling for a life down in the sticks with little old me." "Now when would I have given you reason to think, that I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with the best thing that ever happened to it? Remember? Together..." Tad asked.  
"Forever." Dixie said with tears in her eyes as she took Tad's hand in her's.  
"Now, if you don't mind mi'lady"  
Tad said with a smile as he picked Dixie up and carried her over the threshold and into the next chapter of thier lives. 


End file.
